Remembering the past
by Das Ich
Summary: Before his sixth year Harry finds out that his real parents are Voldemort and Matilda, now he goes to school again.
1. Default Chapter

This is my first fanfiction and I think the first chapter is bad, but please review! If there are mistakes, please correct me, I'm not sure how bad my English is.  
  
I do not own anything.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Albus Dumbledore sat in his office at midnight on July the 31th, 1996. He had a letter in his hand that Lily Potter had told him not to open before Harry's sixteenth birthday. Now he opened and read it. His face lost all color. He immediately got up from his chair and left.  
  
A woman was lying in a hospital bed. She was very exhausted and her beautiful dark curls were hanging wet in her face. She looked lovingly at the little newborn baby in her arms. Even though she knew what was about to happen soon, she smiled as she watched the sleeping child, that was not yet knowing how hard life could be. He only knew his mother's warm, caring hold but soon he wouldn't have that anymore.  
  
She could now only hope for life to not to be too hard on her son, and hope that his father would eventually find him. She had named the baby after his father, a great man. He was so full of love inside, but nobody except her knew that, cause he never showed that side to anyone but her.  
  
"Tom Marvolo Riddle", she whispered. The baby had his father's dark green eyes and the same soft thin lips that could smile in such a charming way and the same black hair. Little Tom laughed a sweet baby laugh. She would protect him until the end. She knew of the magic of love, and when she died wishing something for her son, she could make it happen after death.  
  
Suddenly the door burst open and a woman and two men came in. The woman had a terribly sad expression on her face. One of the men pointed his wand at the woman in the bed and said "Avada Kedavra"  
  
When her heart stopped beating, the woman thought "Please, little Tom, remember this and whatever they will tell you, remember who you are someday and who your real family is." Then it was all over.  
  
The woman at the door had now tears in her eyes and rushed to the bed and picked up the now crying baby. She looked sadly at the dead woman one last time and whispered quietly "I promise."  
  
Harry James Potter suddenly woke up in his bed from a dream. He could remember it clearly. There had been people he knew, his parents and Dumbledore. But there had also been a woman with a child that he somehow had felt connected to. In his dream he had felt what she felt and known what she was thinking. Dumbledore had killed her.  
  
"Would Dumbledore kill people?" he thought. This woman had loved Voldemort and the baby had been his. But that was nonsense. It probably had been a normal strange dream, even though a very real one. Having a child was not very Voldemort-like. Harry slowly sat up in the bed and turned the light on. It was 0:30am. He had been 16 now for half an hour without knowing it.  
  
Then he understood. He remembered.  
  
It had not been a normal dream, it had been the past. His past. And he had seen himself. He had been the baby in the arms of his mother. And, well, then... Voldemort had to be his father. The Potter's had not been his family. Strangely he remained calm about that. It felt somehow natural to him. Harry wondered if Voldemort knew. Probably not, after all he wanted to kill Harry.  
  
Suddenly somebody knocked on the door and Albus Dumbledore came in.  
  
"Don't worry, the muggles won't notice." He said quickly. "You know it?"  
  
Harry nodded, confused about Dumbledore's sudden arrival.  
  
"Let me explain." Dumbledore said and sat down on a chair. At that Harry became angry. This man had killed his mother- what had been her name?- and now came here and acted as if everything was normal? But he listened.  
  
"Shortly before you were born, I found out that Voldemort had a wife, Matilda Riddle. No one else knew that. Wouldn't have fitted into the image people had of him. I thought maybe I could intimidate him if I had her. So when he was in the mountains to a problem with the giants, I used the opportunity and kidnapped Matilda when he couldn't help her. But she was pregnant with you. I didn't want to harm an unborn child so I waited until you were born and then killed her. She had named you Tom Marvolo Riddle, after your father. She really loved him." Dumbledore paused. Harry quietly said "I know." There was a short silence, then the headmaster continued.  
  
"I gave you to the Potters and put a charm on you to make you look like their own child. And they loved you like their own child. They even died for you. But there were things I didn't know. I've just read a letter from Lily which she had told me not to open before your 16th birthday, today. She wrote me that Matilda Black- yes, she was also a cousin of Sirius'-" at the name Harry felt a painful sadness come up inside of him, his godfather Sirius had been killed by his own cousin Bellatrix Lestrange a month ago- "that she had been her best friend at school and that she had promised Matilda to make my charm on you wear off when you'd be 16, and Matilda had made you remember the day you were born and she died. What happened? Did you get a vision?" Dumbledore looked straight into Harry's eyes. Harry looked away. "Well, you must certainly be upset," Dumbledore said in an understanding voice. "I can understand you..."  
  
"NO YOU CAN'T!" Harry yelled. Again he wanted to hurt Dumbledore, like in his office when Sirius had just died. How dared he say he understood him? Why had he been lying to Harry again? 2You lied to me AGAIN! Never I get to know the truth! You don't have any idea how that feels! You always think you know everything, but you know nothing. You don't understand me. You never did. You killed my mother! How could you do this to me? Why?"  
  
"I'm not yet finished with my explanation." Dumbledore said calmly. "I do not believe to know everything, or to completely understand you. But I'm trying to do my best.. I have to admit that I lied to you, and now the only thing I want is to tell you the truth. The only thing I expect from you is to listen and control your temper for a while. Do you accept?"  
  
"Yes", Harry said angrily while trying to calm down.  
  
"I killed your mother because she was the closest and most loyal person to Lord Voldemort. Please be furious at me later. Now, as I said, my charm is wearing off. You are slowly changing your appearance. I notice that your eyes have gotten darker and since I arrived you have grown a bit. This will probably take days, but I could quicken it. The point is, you will look different. So I thought that we could say that you changed schools from Durmstrang and you go to Hogwarts under your real name, and we let an Auror replace you. So you will be safe from Voldemort..."  
  
"Why should I be safe from him if he's my father? And what's with the prophecy?" Harry asked.  
  
"The prophecy was a lie." Dumbledore said, looking older than Harry had ever seen him. "I'm sorry. I only want the best for you, but I made too many mistakes. I can really only try anymore. So I will talk to Ron and Hermione, but I am not going to tell them everything. The less people know about you the better. I'm sure Remus Lupin would love to take your place, and you can make friends with them at school again. But you will have to stay at the Leaky Cauldron until term starts. Is that OK for you?"  
  
Harry nodded numbly. He didn't care anything at the moment.  
  
"Stand up, I'll take my charm off you now." Dumbledore said.  
  
Harry stood up and Dumbledore touched Harry with his wand. Harry felt a strange prickling sensation through his whole body for a moment, then saw Dumbledore staring wide-eyed at him. The headmaster caught himself again and said "You look just like your father." And he conjured up a mirror.  
  
Harry looked into it and gasped unbelievingly.  
  
He looked exactly like he remembered Tom Riddle from the diary- wait, that was his own name, too. He was now in some kind of shocked trance, recognizing everything around him but not feeling anything about it. He still had his scar on the forehead, but now it was more clearly remarkable because his skin was paler and his hair was sleek and didn't cover it. Dumbledore seemed to also have noticed that because he said "I can make your scar invisible, but unfortunately I can't make it gone. You will still feel it hurt." He murmured some spell and pointed his wand at Harry's scar and it was invisible but Harry felt it was still there. Dumbledore quickly packed Harry's things by magic, and they left by Floo Powder to the Leaky Cauldron. Dumbledore instructed Harry to get a room. Harry immediately went to bed. He didn't want to think about this night's events, only to drift into a deep dreamless sleep.  
  
But the image which he had held of Dumbledore for years as the great, wise old man he trusted in so much had shattered.  
  
Sorry that this chapter was so bad, I didn't know how to start the story.  
  
I think it will get better in the next chapters. 


	2. In Diagon Alley

Thanks to hermionegreen for the review. One person who cared.  
  
I hope this chapter is better than the last one. At least it's longer.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
The next morning Harry woke up and got a shock as he looked into the mirror. Then he remembered. He was at the Leaky Cauldron. He was very worried about what his friends would now think of him. Would they still talk to him? Or would they be afraid, like when Moody had suspected that he was possessed? He didn't want to even think about that. And what about the Order? He liked the people there, but they all hated and feared his father.  
  
Suddenly he remembered that it was his birthday. The night had been so full of new things, problems, as he thought bitterly, that he hadn't thought of his birthday since. Dumbledore had probably forbidden his friends to write letters to him or send him presents. That would probably be too dangerous.  
  
Harry was now really angry at Dumbledore. Why did he always decide everything for him? It wasn't like he was a small child, he had already fought Lord Voldemort four times and survived. He was the Boy-Who-Lived, wasn't he? And the headmaster hadn't shown any regret for his mother's death, had he? So Voldemort hated Dumbledore for a good reason.  
  
Anyway, Voldemort. His father. Ewww, that sounded weird! This was Lord Voldemort, He Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, the infamous mass-murderer, the master of the feared Death Eaters, his DAD!? And did he even know he had a son? What would he do if he found out? Always he. Everything bad that could happen happened to Harry Potter. No, wait that wasn't even his name. His whole life had been a lie. This crashed down on him in exactly that moment, and he had to hold back tears really hard.  
  
He decided not to think about that and instead to have some fun on his birthday. His robes were all to short for him, so he had to buy new ones. He didn't feel like breakfast, so he just went to Diagon Alley and got some money from Gringotts. It was a great new experience for him to walk through a crowd of wizards without people staring at him. Then he went to Madame Malkin's to buy the robes. Madame Malkins immediately rushed towards him.  
  
"Hello, my dear! Do you need anything?"  
  
"Yes, new robes."  
  
"Hogwarts? I haven't seen you here ever before."  
  
"I, er, well, I just changed schools from Durmstrang."  
  
She took his height and brought him some robes. Harry paid and left the shop.  
  
He simple loved it to be wandering around in Diagon Alley. It was a place full of magic and usually there were lots of wizards buying magic things. But this time there were much less people and Harry hadn't seen a single child yet. The usually busy atmosphere was now quiet and depressed. Harry knew what the reason was. The magic world had now accepted the news of Lord Voldemort's return, and people feared for their lives. They were afraid to go out of their houses, but staying at home could also mean death if they were attacked.  
  
Harry heard people talking in frightened voices.  
  
"I wouldn't let my children go out alone anymore. Not since he's back."  
  
"Well, he' s been back for more than a year now, hasn't he. And hasn't done anything yet. So why should he now?"  
  
"Because he's been discovered! They saw him at the Ministry! I heard Sirius Black had been killed there by a Death Eater. And all the time he was innocent!"  
  
"How couldn't they notice? Harry Potter had been telling for a year. The poor boy! We need a new minister. Fudge hasn't brought any good."  
  
"Remember what happened at the Quidditch game two years ago? They should have started to worry then. Those people kill for fun. And I'm muggleborn."  
  
"Yes, but a lot of them are in Azkaban."  
  
"For how long? Last time he managed to get them out, and this time there aren't even dementors."  
  
Harry turned away. If those people found out... he imagined them talking about him. He went to buy himself a birthday present.  
  
He went to the book shop first. There he looked around for a while, then the door opened again and Draco Malfoy came in with his mother. His father was still in Azkaban. At first Harry thought Draco would now try to insult him or start a fight, but as he didn't recognize him he remembered looking different again. So he decided to spy on the Malfoys a bit. They bought a few books and went out without talking a lot. They walked out of Diagon Alley into Knockturn Alley, Harry behind them.  
  
"Mother, will I get some things?" Draco asked.  
  
"If they are not too dangerous. I do not wish anything to happen to you."  
  
They went into a dark shop full of old-looking things and books. Harry waited a few minutes outside the door to not come in at the same time as the Malfoys.  
  
Then he went in. The shop was lit only by a few candles. It looked like it hadn't been cleaned for a long time. Dust was on all the things. Mrs. Malfoy stood near a desk, waiting. Her son was looking interestedly at some eye-balls in a glass. Then he saw Harry who was standing in the door looking at him.  
  
"What are you looking at?" he snapped.  
  
"Nothing. Besides, looking is not forbidden, is it?" Harry said walking over to the nearest bookshelf and faked looking for a book. He pulled one out of the shelf. He was about open it and start to read, when he felt somebody standing behind him. He turned around.  
  
"What are you doing?" he asked Malfoy.  
  
"What are YOU doing?" Malfoy asked back.  
  
"I'm buying a book."  
  
Malfoy was just opening his mouth again when they heard a man call:  
  
"Narcissa Malfoy! What a nice surprise! And you've brought your son."  
  
"Good morning, Mr. Decker! I need an Orb of Mortis."  
  
"Of course, Mrs. Malfoy. Please wait a moment..." he went off searching for it.  
  
Mrs. Malfoy was looking pretty impatient by now.  
  
Draco looked at Harry. "Who are you?"  
  
"Tom Riddle." he answered. "What's your name?"  
  
"Draco Malfoy. I've never heard of your family. Are your parents wizards?"  
  
"Yes, they were. But they're dead. Are you going to Hogwarts, too?"  
  
"Yes, but I've never seen you there. In which house are you?"  
  
"I've just changed schools from Durmstrang. So I haven't got an idea."  
  
"I hope you will get sorted into Slytherin. That's the best house, you must know. I'm in there, of course."  
  
"Cool, maybe I will." Harry said. Great. Now he was having a conversation with Malfoy. But he wanted to see what they were doing. "Is that your mother over there?"  
  
"Yes, it is."  
  
"What does she want to buy? And where's your father?" he asked even though he knew the answer to the last question perfectly well. He just wanted to hear Malfoy's answer.  
  
Malfoy looked angry. "Father is in Azkaban because of Harry Potter. He is a Death Eater, you know. One of the Dark Lord's favorites. I'm sure he'll be free again soon. Mother is just getting something for our master. What do you think about him? You're not one of those Mudblood lovers, are you?"  
  
Harry didn't know what to say at first. Then he answered as untouched as possible "Of course not. But I have never met him, so I can't tell." That seemed to be a good answer.  
  
"Well, he's going to get rid of all those mudbloods," Malfoy smirked. "You know, our school is full of them. The headmaster loves them. Worse than Potter."  
  
Harry felt angry about Malfoy saying mudbloods, but not about Dumbledore. "Really?" he said smiling. "Strange guy."  
  
"I've found it!" the shopkeeper called.  
  
"At last!" Narcissa exclaimed. "How much is it?"  
  
They went to the desk and Narcissa paid for a small crystal orb with black fog in it.  
  
"Quick, go pay for your book, then you can come with us!", Draco said and pushed Harry towards the desk.  
  
"You want the book?" Mr. Decker asked. Now Harry couldn't say no anymore, so he nodded.  
  
"That's five galleons, then."  
  
Mrs. Malfoy started to clasp her tongue so Harry quickly paid and was nearly pulled out by Draco.  
  
"Do you play Quidditch?" Malfoy asked.  
  
"Yes, I do." Harry answered remembering being asked the same question by Malfoy when they met for the first time. He didn't even know what Quidditch was then.  
  
"I'm the Slytherin seeker." Malfoy said proudly. He was only in the team because his father had bought new brooms for the whole team. "But maybe I'll be trying out as keeper next year. What position do you play?"  
  
"I'm a seeker, too."  
  
Mrs. Malfoy crumbled her nose and asked Harry "Are you a friend of Draco's?"  
  
"We just met, but we'll be going to school together." Draco answered for Harry. "His name is Tom Riddle."  
  
"I'm sure I've heard that name somewhere.", she said. "Do I know your parents?"  
  
"They're dead." Harry said.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. Draco, I have to go and bring it to him. You can wait here with Tom. Be at the Ice Cafe at one o'clock, OK?"  
  
"Yes, OK.", Draco said and she disapparated.  
  
Lord Voldemort was standing in a dark room. He was thinking of a time when he had been another person, when there had been a light in his world. Matilda. He had loved her when they met for the first time, and he still loved her more than anything else. But she was gone. Dead. Because of Dumbledore. He had never hated anyone as much as Dumbledore. Not Harry Potter and not his muggle father. Matilda would have born him a child. He would have cared for it. Dumbledore had taken him his child and the love of his life. Now there was only hate. Matilda had been the only sense in his life, now it was revenge. The only reason why he was still living and had not given up was that he wanted her death paid back, and he did not want to die guilty that he could not save her. He had changed so much.  
  
Suddenly Narcissa apparated in front of him. She bowed and held out the small crystal orb. "My Lord, I have got what you wished."  
  
He took the orb from her and looked at it. "Thank you, Narcissa, that's very good. Now go and ask Bellatrix to come here. I've got a mission for her."  
  
Narcissa hesitated. Wouldn't he at least explain her what it was that she had gotten for him?  
  
"That's none of your business!" he hissed after he had read her mind. She immediately disapparated again.  
  
He stayed in the room waiting, alone.  
  
Headmaster Albus Dumbledore was sitting on his desk in his office, trying for about the 100th time to open the old iron box with three interlaced snakes in front of him. No single charm worked. He supposed that the snakes were the key, but that didn't help him a lot. He remembered how Harry had opened the Chamber of Secrets by ordering it in parseltongue, but he couldn't do that.  
  
Anyway, that box belonged to Harry.  
  
I wouldn't mind some more reviews this time and if you have any ideas please tell me. I haven't got too much of a plan where this story is going. I just got the idea and started to write. Should I pair Harry up with somebody? 


	3. The box

A happy new year everybody! Sorry for not updating so long. I visited my grandma after Christmas.  
  
And thanks for the reviews!  
  
Allyanna: Thanks, that helped me a lot! I didn't expect to get such a long review... these are good ideas. I'll try to put them in. I'd never have noticed that with the signed reviews if you hadn't said.  
  
hermionegreen: thank you, you reviewed my second chapter too! Your questions will be answered in time.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
When Narcissa disapparated, Tom (I'll write that from now on cause it's his real name) started to regret going after the Malfoys. For how long would he be stuck with that annoying idiot now?  
  
"You have got enough time, don't you?" Malfoy asked.  
  
"Yes, I have." Said Tom.  
  
"Where do you want to go? To the Quidditch shop?"  
  
"Yeah, that's great." Even Malfoy couldn't make Quidditch bad.  
  
So they went to the Quidditch shop and looked at the racing brooms.  
  
"I want to buy a firebolt, but I'm not allowed until father's back." Malfoy said. "Potter's got one, too. Makes his big head even bigger. The boy makes me sick, really."  
  
Tom didn't answer, he was busy controlling his temper. Suddenly his scar hurt and for a moment he felt a terrible sadness and emptiness. He rubbed his forehead. Malfoy cast him a questioning look.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"Yeah, ouch, my head..."  
  
"Do you need to sit down?"  
  
"No, I'm okay. No need to worry."  
  
"Good. Let's go to meet mother. Besides, where do you stay when you have no parents?"  
  
"I have a room in the Leaky Cauldron until I term starts."  
  
"You'll like Hogwarts."  
  
They met Mrs. Malfoy at the ice cafe (is that right?) and Draco immediately started trying to convince her to get a firebolt. "Not before your father is back!" she snapped.  
  
"When will they get him out?" her son asked unnerved.  
  
"Draco, I do not know, he hasn't told me anything. We will go home now."  
  
"Well, I'll leave you then." Said Tom feeling very uncomfortable. Draco looked angry, and he didn't like to listen to an argument. "See you at school then."  
  
"Bye. But Mum, I want..."  
  
Tom hurried to the Leaky Cauldron into his room. He sat on his bed. A few minutes he just stared into the air. He didn't feel like himself anymore. Why had he been nice to Malfoy? He hadn't needed to, at school he would be with Ron and Hermione again and Malfoy would hate him anyway. But still, it was as if Harry Potter was a different person in another life. He looked down and saw a box lying next to him on the bed. It was the same box that Dumbledore had had in his office. He immediately knew it was his. He just knew. There was also a note.  
  
Your mother left this for you.  
  
"Open." Tom whispered. The snakes that held the lid closed moved to the sides and it opened. Inside the box were things, on top was a letter. It was written in a very small handwriting. It was difficult to read because it looked as if the writer's hand had been shaking. He took it out and read.  
  
My dear Tom!  
  
I am sorry for that I cannot be with you and help you growing up. I would feed you and educate you and play with you. Your father would become more and more powerful and he would give you everything you desire and protect us. We would be a happy family. I am so very sorry for that we are never going to be. Because when you will finally read this letter I will have been dead for sixteen years. I do not know how things will be then. If you and your father are still alive, of course you are when you are able to read this letter. And my best friend Lily and her husband, did they raise you? If you can, tell Lily that I forgive her. Dumbledore does not seem to want you as an enemy at the moment, so it is possible that you think he is a good man like lots of people do. But, please believe me, he is not. I am not saying I am a good person, neither is your father. But we are your family, and Dumbledore wants to destroy us. Even if you are told to hate your father, please give him at least a chance. He is not a bad person at all. I cannot write any more even though there is so much left to say. Take care of yourself. In love  
  
Your mother Matilda Riddle  
  
A tear rolled down Tom's face. He put the letter aside and took a pile of photos out of the box. He looked at his parents. There were some pictures of Matilda in a beautiful white wedding dress with flowers in her hand next to Tom Riddle senior in a black suit. Tom recognized him as the boy from the diary, though was older he hadn't changed much. No red eyes yet. They were smiling happily and waving at Tom. In fact they looked just like a normal couple. There were some more photos of them together or alone and some at school. They really didn't look evil, Tom thought. He could have looked at the photos for hours but there was still something lying inside the box. It was a silver necklace with an emerald in the shape of a snake. There was a note, too.  
  
Your father gave this to me. He has got the other one. We could always talk to each other telepathically through them. Unfortunately at the moment it doesn't work because of a spell that is put on Hogwarts.  
  
Tom now noticed that he was crying. He put the things back into the box and remained sitting on his bed.  
  
I'm sorry this was a short chapter but I'll post the next one soon. 


	4. An eventful night

Thanks for the reviews, hermionegreen and Allyanna, there are really people who read my story...  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Lord Voldemort was still alone, waiting for Bellatrix. He held the Orb of Mortis in his hands. He could hardly await nightfall and the rise of the full moon. Tonight he could finally do the ritual.  
  
Behind him Bellatrix apparated and knelt down. He didn't turn around.  
  
"Do you have any news?" he asked coldly. It didn't really interest him at the moment.  
  
"Yes master." Bellatrix said. "There's reason to believe Potter has left his relatives' house. We overheard them and they say he's gone since last night and they don't know where he is. We couldn't locate him either. Probably he's with Dumbledore's Order again."  
  
"Maybe. Don't be too sure. Go and tell the others not to disturb me tonight." Voldemort turned around now and faced Bellatrix. She backed away at the look in his eyes. "Or they'll regret it."  
  
Bellatrix bowed and left quickly.  
  
Great, now they had to look for Potter again. Voldemort actually kind of liked the boy. He was rather impressed by him. Would've done really well on his side. They had a lot of things in common. But when you have gotten so far, you don't turn around.  
  
He started to prepare the last things.  
  
Tom went to bed early. He dreamed Ron and Hermione who didn't know him anymore. He tried to explain them but they said that they had never heard of Harry Potter. He desperately tried to convince them to go to Dumbledore and ask him, but they refused to talk to him. Then they turned into Malfoy who wanted to play Quidditch with him. He tried to get away and look for Sirius whom he had seen somewhere in a fire.  
  
Then the dream changed and he was in some kind of park. It was night and the full moon was shining brightly above him. It was the only light in the whole darkness. All around him it was quiet and lonely. There didn't seem to be any noise at all as he walked through the moonlit park.  
  
He stopped in front of three trees. They were completely black, they seemed to be the only thing he could see that was not bathed in moonlight. He could feel their dark auras. He stood in the middle of them and put some herbs on the ground. He laid the foggy Orb of Mortis onto them. Then he pulled a knife and slit up his wrist and let blood fall onto the earth while he said in a voice that was not his own  
  
Seele, ich rufe dich, komm her von den Toten, ich gebe mein Blut, der Weg ist jetzt frei, der Mond ist voll, hier herrscht Dunkelheit, du hast Zeit hier zu sein, solange das Licht bleibt. Denn das ist mein Wille, und mein Wille geschehe.  
  
He finished and waited. If he had succeeded it would happen now.  
  
And it did.  
  
The black fog went out of the orb and lingered in the air. The orb glowed blood-red and floated up. Then it turned completely white and seemed to fill with moonlight.  
  
In front of him appeared a shadow. It became clearer and clearer....  
  
...and a loud cracking woke Tom up.  
  
He sat up in bed immediately and could only see the door of his room slamming shut. He jumped out of bed and opened the door a little to look out into the hall but didn't see anybody. Because of the fact that he was wearing pajamas he decided to stay in his room though. He went back inside and, thinking that he probably wouldn't be able to sleep anymore this night and didn't need to, got dressed.  
  
Disappointed, he sat on a chair and looked again through the photos. He could see on some of the photos they were both wearing the same snake- necklace. He still didn't dare touching it again.  
  
On one picture there was his mother as a young girl at about his age and wearing hogwarts robes with a green and silver prefect badge standing together and waving at him with three other girls and a boy all about her age, maybe one or two years difference, one of the girls with flaming red hair looked only around eleven or twelve. They all seemed familiar to him except the youngest girl and.  
  
One of the girls which looked quite similar to Matilda had put her arm around her and smiled as he stared at her. This... wasn't this BELLATRIX LESTRANGE?!? And the blond girl next to them who was just looking at the younger girl making a face looked like Nacissa Malfoy... then he saw that the boy had some shapes comparable to Sirius in the face but light brown hair. He had to be probably his little brother, Regulus. Sirius had once talked with him about his family. The thought of his godfather let more of the emptiness he had felt ever since Sirius' death come back into him. Why wasn't Sirius on the photo? Well, probably ten horses wouldn't have gotten Sirius on a family picture, would they? Tom let out a quiet laugh. But who was the youngest girl? Tonks' mother, he thought, as her hair changed from red to green.  
  
All of them were his relatives.  
  
But he couldn't remember seeing his mother's name on the wall in Sirius' house. He had to ask Dumbledore about that.  
  
He put the photos away and went downstairs in the pub. Even though it was after midnight there were still a lot of people, less than at daytime of course. The barkeeper Tom was talking to two persons sitting at the bar... Moody and Tonks. Tom sat on a chair near them and listened.  
  
"... just came running down and disapparated. Haven't seen her coming. You really don't want something to drink?" the barkeeper said.  
  
"Well, a small butterbeer..." Tonks began, but Moody cut her off. "No, we don't. When do you learn not take drinks from others? Do you have to be poisoned before you do it my way?"  
  
"Your. Way. Is. Ridiculous. Mad. Eye." Tonks said unnerved.  
  
Moody ignored her and turned to Tom instead. "Why are you listening?"  
  
Oh-oh. Bad idea. Moody's magical eye. "Er... I am not listening?" he said very unconvincingly.  
  
"Yes you are." Moody growled. "Who are you? A Death Eater?"  
  
"Mad-Eye!" Tonks exclaimed. "This is a normal boy who is just sitting here. Remember: You. Are. Paranoid." To Tom she said "Sorry, he always does that." They both laughed.  
  
"That's not a laughing matter. They can be all around. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" (Can you guess who said that? No? You should.)  
  
Tom wondered if Dumbledore had told them anything. Could he talk to them? "Could you please tell Professor Dumbledore that I need to talk to him?"  
  
Now both of them were staring at him, Moody even with both eyes. The barkeeper was filling a glass for someone who had just entered.  
  
"Now, really, who are you?" Tonks asked.  
  
Tom lowered his voice. "Harry, but don't tell anybody. Say Tom. Hasn't Dumbledore told you?" He didn't care if Dumbledore would appreciate what he said, that was his own problem and though he liked it when strangers didn't recognize him, he hated it when his friends didn't know who he was.  
  
"Told us what? Shouldn't you be at your aunt and uncle's house?" Tonks asked stunned.  
  
"No." So they didn't know anything. Tom didn't want to tell them the truth because he was afraid of their reactions, but didn't want to lie either. "You better ask Dumbledore about that. But tell him that I need to talk to him, okay?"  
  
"Yes, we'll do that, but I'm still kinda confused, you see." Tonks said. "You don't really look like yourself. And you're not a Metamorphmagus, are you?"  
  
"I'm not convinced. He is a Death Eater." Moody said.  
  
"My patronus is a stag."  
  
"Everybody could know that."  
  
"I saw the snake attacking Mr. Weasley last year."  
  
"Okay, you're it."  
  
"Bellatrix Lestrange was here short ago." Tonks whispered. "That's why we're here. She seemed to have been upstairs and ran down and disapparated."  
  
"Really?" Tom remembered somebody in his room. "Why did she come down?"  
  
"You can't apparate to the guests' rooms. That's for security, you see."  
  
"Oh. Tonks, could you just look at something?"  
  
"Yeah, sure, what is it?"  
  
"I'll just get it."  
  
Tom hurried upstairs and got the photo he had looked at before. He showed it to Tonks.  
  
"Is this your mother?"  
  
"Yes, it is! Where did you get that? And these are her sisters! But I don't know who the boy is, Sirius brother maybe? Yes, it is, there are photos in the house." Tonks said excitedly.  
  
"So they are all her sisters?" Tom asked. Then his mother should have been on the wall, shouldn't it?  
  
"Yes, you know my aunts Bellatrix and Narcissa, I think. And that (she pointed at Matilda) was her favorite sister, Matilda, I've seen photos of her, too, she was her (she pointed at Bellatrix) twin sister, fraternal, of course, but still pretty similar looks, I think she married a muggle, too, like Mum."  
  
"She married a muggle?" What? His mother hadn't married a muggle.  
  
"Yes, both of them. But they lost contact, then. To the rest of the family, too, of course. You see, they don't want to admit they're related to somebody marrying a muggle. I believe Matilda died years ago, at least that's what I've heard. Where did you get the photo? From Kreacher?"  
  
"Found it" Harry muttered.  
  
Moody was smiling widely. "Well, I enjoy photos, too, but we MUST go and report it now."  
  
"Okay, bye then. You're staying here?"  
  
"Yes, good-bye." They disapparated and Tom remained at the bar. The barkeeper spotted him and asked if he wanted a butterbeer.  
  
"Yeah, why not..." Tom said. He didn't feel like having a butterbeer but he had nothing better to do and didn't want to go back to his room and be alone again, he would start to breed over Voldemort and his family again.  
  
"You don't sound too happy." Tom the barkeeper stated.  
  
"Yeah... maybe..."  
  
"Why not? Is there anything I can do for you?"  
  
"No, I don't think so."  
  
"Sure? I'll just get some fresh glasses, think about it."  
  
The barkeeper grinned a toothless grin and went through into a room in the back and came back a few minutes later with some fresh glasses in the hand. He put them down and said to Tom "I know something that'll cheer you up. Follow me."  
  
Tom was a little suspicious, what the hell did the man want, but he followed him into the room in the back. Inside there were some house-elves washing dishes or making food, and some cupboards. The barkeeper told them to stop for a while and get out. The obeyed, and went out.  
  
Tom looked into the barkeeper's eyes and asked "What are we doing here?"  
  
The barkeeper's eyes seemed somehow empty and far away when he shut the door and locked it magically.  
  
Tom had a really bad feeling.  
  
Guess why...  
  
I'm wondering whether to make long chapters or more often short ones.  
  
Again not much happened in this one, the next one will probably be more interesting. I'll let them meet then...  
  
The spell was German, it's kinda stupid but I didn't have a better one.  
  
I want Harry go to Hogwarts soon, this will be much more fun.  
  
Well, please review, it's easy, you see. If you want to write it's the most horrible story you've ever read, but REVIEW!!!! 


	5. At Riddle Manor

Oh my god!!! I've never expected so many reviews! Thank you so much! I'm going to answer them all.  
  
Hermionegreen: hey, you are the only person who reviewed every time! Keep going please!  
  
'Mes: Glad you like my story! Were you right?  
  
kynight (kytag@aol.com): Thanks, that's very inspiring.  
  
Shania Maxwell: Thank you!  
  
StarlightAngeldust: I think it's going to be a dark fic, but I'm not sure how much. Recommend? I think I like Family Issues by ShadowThestral, but I think a lot of people know it.  
  
Slimpun: Where else should he be sorted? I swear I'll do that.  
  
Vlanna (vlanna@bellsouth.net): yeah, sorry for the cliffhanger  
  
Parselmouth: you'll know soon...  
  
liz: Thank you!  
  
Insanechildfanfic: thanks!  
  
HoshiHikari4ever: yes, you're right but I think he wouldn't immediately go straight to Voldie, would he? He's just more used to tell them things  
  
tia: Thank you!  
  
Star Mage 1: wow, I'm honoured!  
  
reaprincesa: thank you for reviewing, even so late!  
  
Sorry I haven't updated so long again, I couldn't get to the computer. But, okay, now here's the next chapter!  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Bellatrix Lestrange walked out from behind a large cupboard.  
  
"Hello, dear!" she said, grinning.  
  
"You!" Tom just hated her, really. Did she recognize him? "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm going to bring you to the Dark Lord." Bellatrix laughed madly and looked at him expectantly, as if she thought he'd panic. He didn't. He just stayed where he was and kept looking at her.  
  
"I'm his most loyal Death Eater." She said a bit annoyed. "I don't know why he wants you but I'm sure you have a problem."  
  
So she did not recognize him. For a moment he considered his chances of running away, the barkeeper hadn't moved a bit, then he realized that he was actually curious on what Voldemort had to say to this. Dumbledore's word seemed definitely not enough.  
  
"Yeah, okay, bring me to him."  
  
Bellatrix looked now REALLY disappointed. She had probably been looking forward to MAKING him come.  
  
"I used the Imperius Curse on him to get you." She pointed to the barkeeper. "He mustn't report anything. AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
  
Tom didn't even flinch when the body dropped dead.  
  
Bellatrix grumbled something about boring people and led him to the fireplace. She threw floo powder into it, pushed him into the fire and called "Riddle Manor!"  
  
Everything began to turn and Tom landed in a large fireplace in an room about the size of the Great Hell in Hogwarts. He got out of the fireplace and brushed himself off. A snake was lying on the floor in front of the fireplace, Nagini. The room was full of more bookshelves than he had ever seen on one place, even in the Hogwarts library.  
  
In front of him stood his father, Lord Voldemort.  
  
They stared at each other.  
  
"Er... master?" Bellatrix' voice asked From out of the fireplace.  
  
"Get out, Bella." Voldemort said without looking at her. She hurried out of the room.  
  
"So..." he started. "You're my son, then."  
  
"Yes", Tom's mouth felt dry and his mind empty.  
  
"I'm sorry." Voldemort said. Hearing him apologize sounded strange to Tom. "You must be really angry at me," he continued, "I never was a good father for you. I didn't know you were my son, but that's no excuse. I tried to kill you and made you suffer. I don't know how to make that good again."  
  
"It doesn't matter." Tom hadn't imagined Voldemort could say something like that.  
  
"Yes, it does. And there I am, complaining about my father not caring for me, but I'm not any better myself. I am so sorry. Is there anything I con do to make you forgive me?"  
  
"No." Tom said honestly. "I have already forgiven you."  
  
For that moment, Voldemort's eyes lost their cruelty and hate and shone with a little green. For that moment, he was the happy man on his wedding day again.  
  
"Thank you. It was your birthday yesterday, wasn't it? I think I owe you a present. Next time you'll get a party, all right?" He walked over to an old desk and took up a coiled up small black and silver snake. He gave it to Tom. "Do you like her? Her name is Sylvie."  
  
"Yes, she's beautiful!" Tom exclaimed and beamed at Voldemort happily. It just felt like the family he had never had. He added in parseltongue ~ "Hello Sylvie!" ~  
  
~ "Hello masster" ~ Sylvie hissed.  
  
~ "just call me Tom, okay?" ~  
  
"She is an elemental fire-snake. That means she can produce fire and take it away and it cannot harm her."  
  
"Wow, thank you, really."  
  
"Don't you want to sit down? We ought to talk." Voldemort summoned two chairs and they sat down. Sylvie coiled up on Tom's lap.  
  
"Do you have any questions?" Voldemort asked.  
  
"Is everything that Dumbledore told me true?"  
  
"What did he tell you?"  
  
Tom told Voldemort about Dumbledore's visit the night and about the dream he had had.  
  
"I knew about the dream. I've talked to Matilda tonight. I did a ritual to speak to the dead." Voldemort said.  
  
"Yes, I've seen part of it. Till there was someone very loud in my room."  
  
"Yes, that was Bella. She can be really annoying sometimes." At the look on Tom's face, Voldemort added "I'm really sorry about Sirius Black. If I could bring him back, I would. But I can't. I'm sorry."  
  
"Yeah, it' just... he was like my only family, you see... he asked me if I wanted to live with him once..."  
  
"He did? But weren't the muggles your family, too, if you stayed with them?" Voldemort asked confused.  
  
"I don't consider them as family. They're horrible persons. I only stayed with them because Dumbledore said I had to."  
  
"Oh, I see. That's not good. I always had to stay at an orphanage. I wrote a letter to the headmaster every year to ask whether I could stay at Hogwarts over the summer, but he never let me. I have heard that he actually wanted to, but every time Dumbledore convinced him not to." He stopped and looked into Tom's eyes. "If you want to, of course you don't need to, I don't really expect you to want that, you could... you could stay here with me."  
  
Tom's face lit up immediately. "You're not joking, are you? Of course I want to! That's great!" But then his smile disappeared. "What about Dumbledore? I told Moody and Tonks, they're Aurors in the Order, that I wanted to speak him. I have no idea whether he'll turn up there, though."  
  
"Probably as long as he thinks it's good for him. The question is, can you have him finding out about us? Because he wouldn't be pleased. Do you still trust him? I don't blame you if you do."  
  
Tom thought about that question for a moment. Did he trust Dumbledore? The person who had killed his mother and made his whole life a lie?  
  
"No. Not in any way do I trust that manipulative, lying old fool."  
  
Voldemort chuckled lightly. "That's my boy."  
  
"How come you're being so nice?" Tom wanted to know. "Sorry to say so, but I never could have imagined that."  
  
Voldemort sighed. "That's because I haven't been for a long time. Now... I'm just... happy, I guess. That's the first time I felt truly happy... since Matilda... I wasn't ever cruel and heartless, contrary to popular belief. I was evil, yes, well, also cruel, but not heartless. I was able to love. I changed a lot after she was dead, and I believed you were, too. All this power is great, of course, but I had lost my wife and my unborn child. After that I just wanted to make Dumbledore pay. And I thought that I could never love again, until today. Until you came back into my life."  
  
At this moment they truly were a happy together again family.  
  
That was, until....  
  
"My Lord! Something has happened in the Leaky Cauldron! They found the barkeeper dead and there are rumors it had been Bellatrix who killed him!" shouted a man in black Death Eater robes who had just apparated in.  
  
"AVERY! What the hell are you doing here?! Haven't I clearly said that I do NOT want to be disturbed by any of you?!" screamed Voldemort. "CRUCIO!"  
  
Avery was screaming and twitching in pain. Seconds later Voldemort removed the curse.  
  
"Sorry." He said to Tom. "I just had to do this. Avery should really at least TRY to do some better once."  
  
"I'm sorry, My Lord, I didn't think..."  
  
"I noticed that, Avery. Now go."  
  
"Yes, My Lord." Avery bowed and with a plop he was gone.  
  
Voldemort turned to Tom again. "Sorry for the interruption. And I think what I just did was not something that you like to see. Torturing him, I mean."  
  
"That didn't really matter to me." Tom said truthfully. "I mean, I've often seen it, and tried t0 do it by myself, so..."  
  
"You've tried to do it yourself? The Golden Boy of Gryffindor?" Voldemort asked somehow mocking.  
  
"Yes, on Lestrange when she had killed Sirius. I did it wrong, though."  
  
"Oh, if you want to you could torture her for that another time. But what I just thought of, why are you in Gryffindor? You're a descendant of Slytherin."  
  
"I kept on chanting 'not Slytherin, not Slytherin' in my head."  
  
"That explains everything. Did they tell you Slytherin was THAT bad?"  
  
"Yes, everybody I met did, except for Malfoy, and I didn't like him."  
  
"Well then, I think you should be in your room in the Leaky Cauldron now. It'll look suspicious otherwise."  
  
They stood up and walked to the fireplace.  
  
~ "Where are we going?" ~ asked Sylvie.  
  
~ To the Leaky Cauldron where we have a room for a while." ~ answered Tom.  
  
"Please put on the telepathy necklace, Matilda told me you had it. Then we can talk again."  
  
"Yes, I will."  
  
Tom threw floo powder in the fire and stepped in with Sylvie, shouting "Room 13, Leaky Caldron!"  
  
In the Leaky Cauldron he just had time to put on his pajamas and the necklace and lay into bed, and Sylvie curled up on the bedside table when some ministry wizards came in and told him that the barkeeper had been killed and asked him if he had noticed anything. Tom told them he hadn't, and they told him not to worry, the barkeeper's son would be running the pub now and the ministry would be making new precautions. Then they went out and left Tom alone. He lay in his bed although it was morning with a strangely happy feeling in his stomach and was trying to sleep when he heard a voice in his head saying  
  
*Goodnight Tom*  
  
*Goodnight father* he answered.  
  
Although it was Lord Voldemort, in this night he had found his father and he was really happy about it.  
  
Okay, maybe you'll be wondering now why Tom and Voldemort just understood each other so quickly, but I thought that they were both somehow waiting for that moment, you remember Harry's mirror of Erised?  
  
And I know that in this chapter Voldie was pretty soft and emotional, he won't be like that all the time, don't worry!  
  
And I think it was a bit unclear in the last chapter that Tom asked for Dumbledore although he didn't like him anymore, I meant he did this because if it's always 'ask Dumbledore', it just gets normal to go to HIM and that doesn't change from one day to the other.  
  
Just got a new cell phone, I'm so happy!  
  
So, please review again, guys! I'll be even more happy then!  
  
REVIEW!!!!!!!!!! 


	6. Dumbledore and an offer

After so long time, here's the next chapter. It's not very good because I didn't have a lot of time and peace to write it. I was in school camp and then there were these nice little sisters of mine running around here all day. So I had to write this while caring for fighting-and-then-crying children. I sometimes really wonder what my parents had been thinking. Thanks for the reviews, guys! I love you so much! That people are really reading this... tz, tz, tz...  
  
HermioneGreen: Thank you again! You reviewed all my chapters now! But you don't expect Tom to tell our lovely headmaster everything, do you?  
  
tia: Thank you!  
  
Insanechildfanfic: oh, thank you too!  
  
Dreamer-3041: This is realistic?! You sure? Well, thank you, really.  
  
'Mes: Someone figured out... cool!  
  
HoshiHikari4ever: Thank you for reviewing again!  
  
Vlanna (vlanna@bellsouth.net) : Thanks!  
  
eressëa : Danke, ich weiß aber noch nicht, was mit ihnen passiert! Wenn du eine Idee hast, sag es mir.  
  
Carya: Thank you. And the story actually wants someone to know more...  
  
Silver Phoenix of Light: Thank you, here's the next one...  
  
Chapter 6  
  
The next morning when Tom went down for breakfast with Sylvie hidden in his robes he saw that there were some ministry people standing around and watching for trouble. He recognized one of them as Dawlish, an Auror. He bought a copy of the Daily Prophet and sat on a table. He started to read the front page. There was a large picture of the barkeeper and a rather old one of Bellatrix.  
  
Death Eater kills barkeeper at the Leaky Cauldron  
  
This night Tom Baker, barkeeper at the Leaky Cauldron, was found dead. The body was found in the house-elf-room short after his death. Eye-witnesses tell that there had been trouble before, with a Death Eater. Bellatrix Lestrange had been seen running down the stairs from the guest rooms which are secured with anti-apparation wards and disapparating. Two Aurors have come straight to the pub and questioned some people, without any more success. The guests all didn't pay attention to the barkeeper then, but when he didn't turn up again some guests looked for him and found him dead. "It was a terrible sight.", says Mr. Ermling, one of them. "He just lay there cold and dead with open eyes." So now the ministry is wondering: What was Lestrange doing there? Has she really killed him or was it someone else (as no one actually saw what happened)? Why? Did he know too much? And what was she doing there in the first place? Our ministry has no idea, like always. If anyone in the magical community has any information please contact the ministry.  
  
Tom grinned at the sentence 'our ministry has no idea, like always'. The next pages were full of articles about Fudge's incapacity of being minister for magic. He folded the newspaper and put it away. Then he went out into Diagon Alley.  
  
~ "Where are we?" ~ Sylvie asked.  
  
~ "In Diagon Alley." ~ answered Tom.  
  
~ "I heard about it." ~ she hissed. ~ "There are magic shops. But I heard they aren't as good as in Knockturn Alley." ~  
  
~ "Depends on what you want to buy." ~  
  
~ "Why? What's the difference?" ~  
  
~ "Well, in Diagon Alley, where we are, there's the normal magic stuff we need for school, or pets, just the legal things. Most wizards buy their things here. In Knockturn Alley are the shops for dark magic. I'm not really sure what's all there, I was there only very short, but a lot of people never set a foot in there." ~  
  
~ "Why not?" ~  
  
~ "Because it's dangerous." ~  
  
~ "There are shops! They're not dangerous, are they?" ~ Sylvie tried to look out of Tom's pocket.  
  
'Why is a snake that curious?' he wondered.  
  
~ "It's more the people who go shopping there than the shops, I sink." ~ he said ~ "Be careful, it's better if no one sees you." ~  
  
~ "Why?" ~  
  
~ "Yeah, well... most people don't like snakes." ~  
  
~ "I've heard that before. But why?" ~  
  
~ "They're afraid of them." ~  
  
They both were silent. Sylvie thought of this. Why should humans be afraid of snakes? Yes, there were some snakes who had something against humans, but most were just not interested in them if they couldn't speak. She really liked Tom. He seemed to be a nice person. Though she thought he seemed to be a little confused all the time.  
  
Tom was a little confused. At the moment he didn't feel like really living, more like being caught in a very real dream. A part of him was all the time expecting to wake up and everything would be normal again. Did he want that? He wasn't sure, he was in no way clear about his feelings, he was just testing them to find out what they were. Everything was just so different.  
  
*Tom? What are you doing?* Voldemort's voice asked in his head. He felt funny, some mix of excited, afraid and happy.  
  
*Nothing, actually. I was just walking around and talking with Sylvie, she's really nice.* He answered. *This is so strange! Very short ago we hated each other, I mean.*  
  
*I'm glad we don't do that anymore. If I'd known... I just want you to know, I never really hated you. I thought your existence was a personal insult to me, you had after all nearly killed me when you were a baby and for all the world their savior and just the right person to defeat me... you were Dumbledore's golden boy, his favorite.*  
  
*He lied to me!* said Tom angrily through his necklace.  
  
*Yes, he did a lot. I wish I hadn't been so blind and figured out his plan with you. He let you grow up under the care of some idiot muggles.*  
  
*Yeah, the Dursleys are terrible.*  
  
*And I nearly killed you several times. Dumbledore would have told me who you really are after your death, and I would have lost my mind. I loved your mother so much, and I still do. She was the greatest person I ever met. You'd like her, too.*  
  
Tom felt a wave of anger towards Dumbledore again. *I just thought you killed my parents, but as they're not my parents... And you appear to have stopped trying to kill me...*  
  
*I never knew Lily Potter was Matilda's friend... well, she didn't talk a lot about her school time, and though I knew that she sometimes didn't get along well with her family, her friends were never a matter. After we met, she didn't bother to keep contact to any of them...*  
  
*Wait a moment.*  
  
An owl flew down to Tom and sat on his shoulder. It was Hedwig. She hooted and held out her leg with a letter. He tied it off and read.  
  
Please come to your room quickly. I'm waiting for you there. A. Dumbledore  
  
What the hell was the headmaster doing in his room? Oh yes, he had asked for him. Why had he done that? Well, there had been no one else to talk to instead.  
  
*My owl just brought me a letter from Dumbledore. It says he's waiting in my room.*  
  
*Then I'd go to him if I were you, but be careful about what you tell him.*  
  
*What do you think I should tell him?* Tom asked walking back to the Leaky Cauldron.  
  
*Ask something about your friends maybe, just make sure you don't mention our little meeting yesterday. He would not be pleased. In case you really need me, I will come.*  
  
*Better not, but thank you.* He had reached the pub and was now going up the stairs.  
  
~ "Sylvie, you need to hide yourself and be quiet now. There's a man who may not see you in any case, understood?" ~  
  
~ "Yes" ~ hissed Sylvie.  
  
~ "Good. So now..." ~ He opened the door.  
  
Albus Dumbledore was sitting in a chair again holding in his hands the box from Tom's mother. "What are you doing there?" Tom asked coldly. Hedwig flew to the small bedside table and sat down on it.  
  
"Ah, good morning, Tom. I'm allowed to call you that now, am I not?", Dumbledore said happily, eyes twinkling. Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "Did you manage to open this? I didn't. Nymphadora Tonks told me you had a picture of her mother's, and your mother's of course, family. So I guess you did open it. What was inside? Can you show me?"  
  
Okay, don't say anything you'll regret now. Ton told himself. Why the hell is he so damn happy? He has no right to go into my room and feel like home taking my things! "I think I'll keep it private, as it's quite personal. I'm sure you understand that."  
  
Dumbledore's smile faded, but he recovered quickly and put the box away and said "Well, if you don't want to... that's not the reason I'm here. Tonks and Moody told me that you asked to speak with me. That's right, you surely have quite a few problems to tell me at the time. Did you see Bellatrix Lestrange yesterday?"  
  
"No, I didn't. Did you find out anything about her or Voldemort?"  
  
"Nothing at all. I have no idea why this happened yesterday, he doesn't know about you, and he didn't do anything else. He's possibly trying to confuse us. So, what's the matter now?  
  
"Well, I'm not entirely clear about what you are planning to do now, with me and my friends and everything. And what have you told Ron and Hermione?" Tom asked politely.  
  
"Of course, your friends. Miss Granger and the Weasleys are currently believing this is all about keeping you safe you from Voldemort. It'll be the best if you tell them the truth. You will attend Hogwarts with them, as a transfer student from Durmstrang, but act as if you were not knowing them at first, then you can pretend becoming friends. They are teaching Remus Lupin about your usual behavior. We will put him under a glamour charm and he'll pretend to be you. You can talk to your friends on the train. I don't think you need to know more now."  
  
"Okay." Why would you?  
  
Dumbledore looked as if "okay" wasn't a proper answer, he had been expecting more questions. "I know that you're having a hard time, and you can tell me when something's bothering you..."  
  
"I'm okay, really." Tom said firmly.  
  
Dumbledore cast him a worried look. "If you say so... you can contact me if you need to. Otherwise we'll be expecting you on the Hogwarts Express on September the first. Good-bye for now." He gave Tom a Hogwarts letter.  
  
"Good-bye." And Dumbledore left.  
  
*He's gone.* Tom told Voldemort.  
  
*What happened?*  
  
*Not much.* He told him everything they had said.  
  
Suddenly Voldemort asked. *Do you want to come to me?*  
  
*For how long?* Tom asked surprised.  
  
*As long as you want to. If you want to stay the whole summer, I would be very glad about your presence.*  
  
*Yes, I'd love to! But I'll keep the room so Dumbledore will not notice.*  
  
He quickly packed his things into his trunk, and put Hedwig into her cage and left with her and Sylvie through the fire. Although he didn't even dare to think that, it was a bit like when he met his godfather for the first time, but like if everything had worked perfectly.  
  
Well, as I said, I don't like the chapter, it's written horribly wrong, but I still want to know your opinion.  
  
And what should I do with Harry, Ron and Hermione? Because I really don't know.  
  
So please  
  
REVIEW!!! 


	7. Back to Hogwarts

Thanks to my reviewers again!  
  
Star Mage: Yes, thank you for the help!  
  
Insanechildfanfic: Thanks!  
  
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some person who just read your story: 1) yes, of course he will 2) sorry, that's a bit too late 3) he will be  
  
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hemionegreen: Thank you, I hope so too! (oh, I'm writing the story!)  
  
Okay, so here's the next part of the story then!  
  
Chapter 7  
  
The rest of the summer went over rather fast. Tom still didn't wake up from his very real dream. He quickly got used to life at Riddle Manor and Voldemort taught him a few things to be really able to defend himself. He could do an extraordinarily good shield charm now and became better at Transfiguration. He could now also do Occlumency and Legilimency, to detect lies. He found that it was much easier to learn if your teacher wasn't called Severus Snape. He had, after his father had persuaded him that it would not make him the next dark Lord (which had taken him a long time and a lot of nerves), agreed to learn the Unforgivable Curses.  
  
Tom and Sylvie became really good friends. She was quite funny sometimes. But he wasn't completely sure if he liked Nagini, though he also talked to her sometimes. He just didn't feel comfortable in her presence. Maybe that was because she used to eat humans.  
  
He had a big room for himself, but he spent most of his time in the huge library where his father used to work. None of the Death Eaters knew who he was, he rarely met one of them, for most were in Azkaban. Bellatrix asked once, after that neither she nor any other Death Eater tried again.  
  
He had read the Hogwarts letter Dumbledore had given him and needed t buy new school supplies.  
  
He was accepted in the NEWT-classes for Charms (A), Transfiguration (E), Potions (E) (surely McGonagall had told Dumbledore about his career advice, two more terrible, Snape-filled years, at least he wasn't his favorite victim anymore), Care of Magical Creatures (O), Defense Against the Dark Arts (O) (who'll be teaching it this year, it can't be worse than Umbridge), Herbology (A), Astronomy (A), Divination (D) (Passed?!! Well, Trelawney did say that exams were unimportant.).  
  
He had failed History (D), what wasn't a big surprise.  
  
He went to Diagon Alley a week before the term started.  
  
He bought his potion supplies first, then he went to Flourish and Blott's, the bookstore. The shopkeeper came to him.  
  
"Good morning, can I help you?"  
  
"Yes, um, I need..." Tom searched for his list, "I need Advanced Charms by Dana Cadley, Advanced Transfiguration by Dana Cadley , Advanced Potions by Ned Lemmel, The Most Interesting Magical Creatures by Jake Fernando, Practical Defense Techniques by Maureen Donovan, Magical Herbs and their Uses by Andrea Jennings, Advanced Astronomy by Martin Smith , Learn to See by Lan Chi."  
  
"Wait a moment, I'll get them for you." The man left.  
  
"We need to get your wand next." Tom heard a familiar voice say. "It's a shame it broke."  
  
"I'm sorry, grandma." Another familiar voice said quietly. Tom turned around. There were Neville Longbottom and his grandmother.  
  
"No, don't be sorry. I'm very proud of you. You fought the Death Eaters, just like Alice and Frank. That's our family spirit. I told all my friends about it." Mrs. Longbottom said, straightening herself up proudly and looking down on Neville from impressive height.  
  
"Thank you grandma." Neville sounded relieved. Tom smiled, Neville had really been brave in the Department of Mysteries. He had deserved the old woman's acknowledgment.  
  
"Here are your books." The shopkeeper was back and gave him the books. Tom paid and left the shop.  
  
Then he bought a new quill and wanted to go back. But on the way he saw a new shop. He hadn't thought about this until now! In front of him was Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes.  
  
He opened the door and went in. The next moment he regretted it. He was from head to feed covered in Stinksap. He looked up and saw a small poison- green thing hanging in the door. He pointed his wand at himself and said "Scourgify!". The Stinksap remained.  
  
"It's seven sickles." Fred said, grinning. He and George were standing in front of Tom, enjoying themselves. "Works a hundred times. Doesn't get off till it's empty. It'll vanish in five minutes."  
  
"Oh, hello, Fred and George." Tom said without thinking.  
  
"Hello. Wait, do we know you?" Fred asked staring at Tom.  
  
'A lie, I need a lie. Now! Think!' Tom thought. "Oh, I..., I heard about you. That's where I know your names."  
  
"How did you hear about us?" George asked.  
  
"So you're really Fred and George, right? A student from Hogwarts told me about what you did last year, I'm going there this year." He said. That was possible. 'Please, believe me!'  
  
"Oh, that's cool, we're famous." Fred said. "Who told you?"  
  
"I don't remember the name." Tom lied.  
  
"So, what do you mean, you're going there this year?" George asked. "Weren't you there last year?"  
  
"No, I was in Durmstrang." Tom explained.  
  
"Blimey! We had your schoolmates at Hogwarts a year in the Triwizard, of course you know that. You'll love Hogwarts, you can buy things here to make your life there a lot more action-packed, I can tell you that." Fred told him.  
  
'Exactly what I need, more action in my life.' he thought dryly. "What things?"  
  
In the end Tom left Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes with a set of fireworks, they were just so beautiful, an in-the-door-hanging-and Stinksap-spraying thing, a potion to make someone grow big rabbit ears and a fluffy tail, a Skieving Snackbox and a swamp. You never know what you need these for.  
  
When he left, Fred called after him "Try to get into Gryffindor, that's the best!"  
  
Tom got home through the fire again (Sylvie made it), where Voldemort awaited him.  
  
"Did you get your things?" asked Voldemort.  
  
"Yes, I did."  
  
"Good. For when you are at school- I cannot write you letters under the headmaster's nose, and there are wards everywhere around the castle, so we will not be able to communicate telepathically. I thought it would be the best if we decided on a meeting time and place."  
  
"Yes, the idea's good, I think."  
  
"So be in the Chamber of Secrets on Halloween at one o'clock, then."  
  
"Okay."  
  
A week later, on September the 1st Tom got to King's Cross by subway from the Leaky Cauldron. He went on the train and looked for Ron and Hermione. They were sitting in a compartment together with- himself?! Oh, no, that was Lupin...  
  
He entered the compartment and shut the door. "Hi guys, um, it's me."  
  
"Harry?!" asked Hermione gaping at him. Ron looked very unbelieving. Lupin/Harry looked expectantly at him.  
  
"The one and only", Tom said, smiling.  
  
"Harry!!!!!" Hermione hugged him so tightly he could hardly breathe. He couldn't speak.  
  
"Now, don't kill him right now." Lupin said.  
  
Hermione let go of Tom. "Sorry, Harry. Where have you been? What has happened? Dumbledore didn't let us write you again. He said you'd look different, you really do! But he said that you changed your name, why? Because of Voldemort?"  
  
'Why does she have to talk so fast?' "Well, kind of. It's long to explain. Hello Hermione, Ron, um, Remus." Tom said down.  
  
"hello, how are you?" was the first thing that came from Ron. "Sorry for us not writing, we tried but Dumbledore noticed it and made up a barrier."  
  
"I didn't write you either, so that's okay, I won't start yelling again." Tom said, and the others laughed.  
  
"Our summer was extremely boring, I can tell you that, mate. There's the last fun gone at Grimmauld Place without you or Sirius." Ron said, then looked horrorstruck. "Oh, sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned..."  
  
"It's okay" said Tom quietly. 'Don't think about him, that'll get your mood down again!' he reminded himself. Everyone looked down to the floor uncomfortably. It was Hermione who broke the silence.  
  
"Now, you were about to explain us something, I believe."  
  
"Yeah, right." 'Where am I to start? Will they understand?' "So, I've got a different name now. It's... Tom."  
  
"Tom?!" Ron asked.  
  
"Yeah, um, Tom Riddle." 'Great done, really!'  
  
The others stared at Tom. "Like Riddle from the diary? Voldemort?" Hermione asked. "Why- Why that?"  
  
"Well, um..." he began. 'Just tell them! They're my friends, they'll still be.' "You know, Voldemort was actually married once, and Dumbledore killed his wife, but not his child, and,... and don't flip now,... that was me and I'm Voldemort's son." 'At least the worst is over now, isn't it?'  
  
They stared at him even more intensely.  
  
"Good joke" Ron said at last. "and what did really happen?"  
  
"That's not a matter to make fun of." Said Lupin, though it was difficult to imagine he was Lupin because he was an exact image of Harry Potter.  
  
"I... I don't think he was making fun." Said Hermione sounding unsure, then to Tom "Were you?"  
  
"No, I was not." He answered.  
  
Silence.  
  
Tom Had many times worried about how they would react, but he had never questioned they'd all immediately believe him. Now it appeared to him as if he had been a bit stupid, the whole thing sounded just so impossible. There was no way everyone would understand it so fast, he had needed time to truly realize it himself.  
  
"You were not." Stated Ron slowly.  
  
"I was not."  
  
"You're Voldemort's son."  
  
"I am."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Lupin coughed. "That makes no sense."  
  
Tom raised his eyebrows. "Why not?"  
  
"You're Lily and James' child."  
  
"What makes you so sure?"  
  
Lupin thought hard. "Nothing, now that I think about it. You were just always theirs."  
  
"They adopted me. Lily Potter was my mother's best friend at school."  
  
"Oh, so your mother, wasn't she Sirius' cousin, Matilda Black?"  
  
"Yes she was! So you knew her too!"  
  
"Not well, but she seemed okay, though."  
  
Hermione made a small whining noise. "So it's true..." she whispered.  
  
"I. Don't. Believe. It." Said Ron, his face white. "Oh. My. God."  
  
Lupin apparently took it best. He asked "Does Voldemort know that?"  
  
"No", Tom lied. He couldn't tell them that. "He believes Dumbledore has killed me, too."  
  
"D-Dumbledore killed your mother?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yes he did." Tom told them about his dream, and how Dumbledore had taken him to the Leaky Cauldron. They were shocked. Of course, they had just heard that Albus Dumbledore, the great, always-knowing-everything, always- fighting-the-evil, old wizard was a murderer himself.  
  
"But... you can't be his son." Said Ron.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"You just... can't. I mean, he's You-Know-Who, evil guy, he can't marry, have children, last of all YOU. 'Cause you're the Boy-Who-Lived and all, Dumbledore must be mistaken."  
  
"I wished he was." Tom said, what had once been the truth, but was now a lie.  
  
"He is!" Ron shouted. "He has to be!"  
  
Hermione looked worried. "Ron, see, that's not so bad, it won't change so much, so don't get upset now. I'm shocked too, but Harry- or Tom, needs our assistance now, right, not us claiming it's not true. No one would say something like that if it wasn't true!"  
  
Lupin stood up. "Tom and I will just go out and talk about something, all right?"  
  
Tom wondered what this was about, but followed Lupin out.  
  
"They'll need time to think about everything you just told us, and I thought they can do that better alone, you see. Why don't we stay in an empty compartment and talk a little more?" said Lupin.  
  
"Yeah, okay.", said Tom, now being alone with his clone. 'This is so strange!'  
  
They walked through the train looking for an empty compartment.  
  
"Harry!" a voice screamed. Ginny Weasley.  
  
'Oh, no, if I have to tell another person I'm going crazy.' Tom thought and whispered to Lupin "Go with her, please, I don't want to explain everything again, I'll go somewhere else."  
  
"I can understand that." Lupin whispered back and walked towards Ginny. Tom entered the nearest compartment. It was a completely wrong choice. He could have entered every single other compartment on the train, so why this one, for heaven's sake?  
  
In the compartment were Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.  
  
"Oh, hello Riddle.", Malfoy said in some kind of aristocratic way. "So, you decided to join us here."  
  
'Decided? The only thing I'd decide is to get your fucking ass to the other end of the universe, idiot!' Politely he said "Hello Malfoy. Yes, I did."  
  
Malfoy looked pleased and started telling Tom about Hogwarts ('as if I didn't know that yet'), about what a horrible person Harry Potter was, and, of course, most of the time, about himself. Draco Malfoy, the greatest person who ever lived, excellent at school ('since when?'), wonderful Quidditch player ('hem, hem, Snitch over his ear and missing it'), handsome, intelligent, and all together just perfect. Tom was extremely bored, but listened to Malfoy's speech, agreeing every few minutes. He had no chance to get away to his friends, so he had to wait to talk to them again until after the sorting, when he would be sitting at Gryffindor table with them and pretending to having met them for the first time and making friends. Malfoy would hate him again soon enough then.  
  
When they arrived at Hogsmeade station, they climbed into the carriages pulled by Thestrals. Tom really liked those animals, they were beautiful in their own way. They were brought right to the castle of Hogwarts. Tom acted as though he had never seen it before, and said "Wow!" when he saw it. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, who he still hadn't managed to get rid of, told him that inside it was even better and guided him to the Great Hall with the other students.  
  
Tom had to wait together with the first years to be sorted. Dumbledore stood up and everyone became silent.  
  
"Welcome back at Hogwarts!" he started "Now there's a new exciting year in front of us, last year a lot of things went different, and I believe a lot of you were not very pleased with the changes. We've been trying to get things back to their usual way. All these Educational Decrees don't have to be followed anymore, as I myself think they are quite stupid. And I'm sure that most of you" he looked over to the Slytherin table, "are frightened because of the return of Lord Voldemort. I need to remind you, that here, in the walls of this castle you are safe from dangers from outside. And there will be a new sixth year to be sorted, Tom Riddle. He has transferred from Durmstrang and will be sorted first. Now, let the sorting begin!"  
  
McGonagall brought in the hat and read the first name on her list, which was of course  
  
"Tom Riddle!"  
  
Tom sat on the chair. Everyone was looking at him.  
  
McGonagall put the sorting hat onto his head, it had nearly touched him...  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
So, this was it for today.  
  
I hope you liked it, just tell me about it, okay?  
  
You could also tell me what you want to happen, I'd love to keep that in mind.  
  
Just REVIEW! 


	8. First day at Hogwarts

Again, a great thank you to all my reviewers!  
  
Greyhound Master : yes, right, I didn't really explain that, she just concentrated only on Lupin. Thanks for telling me!  
  
HermioneGreen : thank you, I'll say that again, you have really reviewed all of my chapters, I'm so happy about that.  
  
Allyanna : Thanks, I think Hemione won't do that. See? I got him a snake.  
  
tia : Hermione certainly not... Ron... maybe.  
  
Lady Ana Maria Lorinan : Thanks a lot!  
  
Shania Maxwell : Thank you!  
  
HoshiHikari4ever : yeah, you're right... thanks!  
  
jeangab057 : if just Mrs. Rowling would think so, too... I like him much better there, too.  
  
HecateDeMort : thank you, you'll see it...  
  
Shmoo or spork : What??? Grand Hell? Well, thanks!  
  
'Mes : Thank you, that was a long review! I'm glad you liked so many things.  
  
chozen1 : Thank you!  
  
So, here's the next chapter then.  
  
""= normal speech, ~ ""~ = parseltongue, ' ' = thoughts, * * = telepathic speech  
  
Chapter 8  
  
The Slytherin table cheered loudly. Tom was a bit stunned, then walked over to the table. He noticed Dumbledore frowning. He looked at the Gryffindor table and saw Ron, Hermione and Lupin who looked all shocked again, about as much as on the train. Ginny had her face buried in her hands. Hermione said something into Ron's ear. Tom had the very strong feeling that it had to do with him.  
  
"I knew you'd make it!" shouted Malfoy through the noise. Fortunately there was no empty seat near Malfoy, so Tom sat down on the other side of the table, between a forth-year boy and a seventh-year girl. The names of the first-years were called in alphabetical order, and they were sorted, too.  
  
Then Dumbledore stood up again. "Now you're all hungry so I won't keep you from feeding yourselves. Now enjoy the feast!" He clapped his hands and food appeared on the tables. Tom put something on his plate and looked up at the staff table. Hagrid was missing and there was Professor Grubby-Plank sitting on his usual chair. Why did she have to replace him again? Where was he?  
  
He looked up and down the table for a new teacher. There was nobody new sitting there. But they had to have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher! Was it possible that Dumbledore hadn't found anyone? The ministry couldn't just decide on a person again, could they? But Dumbledore had said that the Educational Decrees didn't have to be followed anymore, so that was out of question. And they had a decent new book, so they HAD to have a decent teacher. So why wasn't one there?  
  
"What are you staring at?" asked the girl next to him. She had long brown hair with some blond highlights in it. Tom noticed she was wearing a head girl's badge.  
  
"What?" Tom asked, tearing his gaze from the teachers.  
  
"You've been looking up there for minutes. I was only wondering what's so interesting." She said and studied the staff table. "No new teacher there, strange... except Grubby-Plank Oh, you don't know the teachers, do you? That man over there's our house teacher, Professor Snape. The others... " she told him all the teacher's names and their subjects. "Hagrid isn't there, though. He's our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, I think Grubby- Plank's replacing him again. I wonder where he is, last year he wasn't there at the beginning of the year, too. Most of this house dislike Hagrid because he's friends with Harry Potter and sometimes his lessons are a bit... dangerous. I think he's rather okay, though. I mean, he likes monsters, but... I think they're quite interesting, too, and the others should be happy, some people are so keen on everything that has to do with the dark arts, you know, and then they're complaining about those creatures, with another teacher the subject would be much more boring, when I started it we had another teacher and it wasn't interesting at all. When we got Hagrid, it was really good at the beginning but then Malfoy" she pointed at Malfoy "caused him some trouble, and he went on with the boring animals we had stopped with the year before. But after that the lessons got better again, and I personally think we couldn't have a better teacher. Oh, sorry if I kept you from eating, my name's Judy Jennings, by the way."  
  
"My name's... "Tom began.  
  
"Tom Riddle, I know, Professor Dumbledore said it before." Judy interrupted him.  
  
"Oh, yes."  
  
Suddenly the door smashed open noisily, and a woman with a parrot on her shoulder came running in. Every head in the Great Hall turned towards her. She blushed, although Tom had no idea how she managed it for her face was in the color of some kind of dark violet. Sweat was running down her face and she was panting heavily. Her hair was hanging around in her face wildly, fallen out of some kind of knot.  
  
"Sorry... I'm late..." she panted, massaging her ribs. "... I... missed the... train... Jackie... that's my... parrot... didn't want to... be late... I... ran..." she fell on the floor and fainted. The parrot somehow screamed and flew up.  
  
The whole school just gaped at the woman. Then Dumbledore rose up and said "Students, this is Professor Kate Candy, your new teacher in Defense Against the Dark Arts. I think she should be brought into the hospital wing. Would you be so kind, Severus?" he said, smiling and eyes-twinkling. Snape levitated Kate Candy and went out with her, the parrot flying behind them.  
  
Whispers broke out everywhere in the Great Hall.  
  
"What was this about?"  
  
"This woman teaching us to defend ourselves?!"  
  
"I don't believe it."  
  
"I only hope she's nothing like Umbridge."  
  
"Do you think she was attacked?" (from a very stupid person who should wash his ears)  
  
"I'm looking forward to her lesson, we'll know how she is then."  
  
"Seemed rather nice to me."  
  
"Do you think she always looks like that?"  
  
"What's she got that bird for?"  
  
When they had finished with eating, Dumbledore told them that Hagrid had missed the beginning of the year again and would come back later, then they sang the school anthem and he sent them to bed. Everyone stood up. Some people started telling rumors around about were Hagrid could be. Tom tried to see over to his friends. Hermione noticed it and smiled at him. Ginny gave him a pitiful look and made a movement towards the Slytherin table. He smiled back at them. No one noticed.  
  
A new prefect brought them down to their common room. It looked exactly as it had in their second year. Well, what should have changed anyway? The Gryffindor common room was always the same, too. But Tom liked it better because of the friendlier atmosphere there. Then he wondered if he would like the atmosphere there at the moment.  
  
Tom shared his dormitory with Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Theodore Nott, Lars Daniels and Kevin Pearson, the last two were the only ones whose parents were no Death Eaters, though he wasn't completely sure. The beds were similar to those in Gryffindor, the only difference was that the covers were green.  
  
Tom went to bed but couldn't sleep. He talked to Sylvie for a while until she couldn't stay awake anymore. Then he was thinking about his friends, and though they had seemed to be taking the news quite well, wondered what they were really thinking, now, when they were also lying in bed, what they might be worrying about, what they had maybe thought but not told him, maybe they were mad at him, maybe they would even stop being friends with him... now this was going too far, that was nothing to think about, that wouldn't happen, so stop thinking it. And now, as he lay in bed and it was quiet, except that Crabbe and Goyle were snoring, he started to become extremely worried about Hagrid. Had something happened to him during the holidays? Maybe he had hurt himself or something like that...  
  
Early in the morning Tom drifted off to sleep and dreamed about the sorting hat that told him that he had to go back to Gryffindor. He was glad about that, but when he asked for the reason it told him it was because he was in fact Dumbledore's son and he would turn out just like him. Tom found this much worse than being Voldemort's son, even more now that his view about both men had changed. He started yelling at the hat that it was lying, but then Professor Candy came and gave him a birthday cake that suddenly transfigured into a giant budgie. The budgie could speak and said that it had eaten Ron. Hermione appeared and screamed that it was his fault because it had been his cake. He tried to defend himself and tell her that Professor Candy had given it to him and that he didn't want it, it wasn't his birthday, but she couldn't hear him . . . the dream changed . . .  
  
. . . T0m felt taller than usual, he was standing in the middle of a dimly lit room. On the floor in front of him kneeled a woman with black hair. "So, Jones, you have no idea what I'm talking about?" he asked in a high voice.  
  
"No, master." She answered and looked up at him. All the color went out of her pink cheeks, as far as he could see it in the dim light. Her voice was full of fear. Tom knew she wasn't lying.  
  
"That is good. He's still as predictable as usual." He laughed. "Now tell me, have you been able to get the files?"  
  
"Yes, master." She pulled some papers out of her robes and gave them to him. When her fingers touched his long, completely white ones, she shivered.  
  
"Thank you." Tom said, slightly amused. "I guess no one has suspected anything?"  
  
"No, I asked Kingsley Shacklebolt for them, he's head of the Auror center now, I said I only wanted to look at them, and when he left me alone I copied them. He would never suspect me, My Lord, never."  
  
"Well done." Said Tom, still in that high voice. He could feel her relief. "You may leave now. Remember to keep an eye on Severus."  
  
The woman bowed and left the room. He was alone. He looked at the papers she had given him. It looked like a floor plan. That was exactly what he had wanted.  
  
Tom woke up.  
  
It was morning, as he could see a bit of sunlight coming through the high windows in the wall. Though there was not very much light coming in as they were in a dungeon. Mostly it was lit by the torches on the stone wall.  
  
The other Slytherin boys were awake as well. They went down to breakfast. Tom knew he had been dreaming about Voldemort. The woman's face faded from his memories but he was sure he had seen her before. What was her name again? He hated it when he couldn't completely remember something from his dreams.  
  
At breakfast he heard an girl named Blaise Zabini pointing at him and whisper something to Pansy Parkinson. They both giggled. 'What was this about?' he wondered and looked at them. Blaise was even uglier than the pug- faced Pansy, she had her usually black hair that was nearly as greasy as Snape's and a nose like his. The eye color was also the same. Maybe she was somehow related to him. Tom certainly wouldn't ask her.  
  
After the breakfast Dumbledore guided him in an empty room. They looked at each other.  
  
"Well, Tom, has it all worked? Have you done as I told you to?" asked the headmaster.  
  
"Yes I have." Answered Tom.  
  
"You must be feeling bad about your sorting. I have to admit that I expected something like this."  
  
"It's okay. After all I'm related to Slytherin."  
  
"Exactly. That doesn't mean that your character is wrong in any way."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Is there anything you want to tell me?"  
  
'The dream. I stayed with Voldemort in the summer. He knows I'm his son.' "No. Why?" Tom said. Dumbledore looked him straight into the eye, clearly trying to do Legilimency. Tom closed his mind to him as he had learned, and after a few seconds Dumbledore looked away.  
  
"I was just concerned." He said. "You need to go to your classes now. Goodbye."  
  
Tom looked at the schedule which Snape had handed out at breakfast. Then he went to Double Potions with the Gryffindors, where Snape for the first time didn't hate him, so it was a lot more fun, if you can say that from any class where Severus Snape is the teacher. He sat next to Kevin Pearson, who appeared to be a bit like Colin Creevy and was talking pretty much.  
  
Then they had Charms and after that they went to lunch. On the way Tom saw Ron and went over to him inconspicuously.  
  
"Hey Ron." He started.  
  
"Hey." Ron said uncomfortably.  
  
Silence.  
  
Ron broke it. "So you're now... in Slytherin."  
  
"Yes. I mean, the hat wanted to put me there before, and now it just... did it."  
  
"Yeah, right."  
  
"Are you upset?"  
  
"Of course not." Ron said, but Tom could sense that it was a lie. "I mean, it's not your fault, and also not that with You-Know-Who, you just always get all the trouble, no one blames you. We have to get used to it."  
  
'He's talking like I have an incurable sickness or something like that.' Tom thought, but he said "Yes, thank you, Ron, you don't know how much that means to me. You and Hermione are my very best friends and will always be."  
  
Ron's ears glowed a bit red.  
  
"Oh, wait, what did Ginny say?" Tom added.  
  
"Ginny? Lupin told her about you and Voldemort, and she, well, she started crying, because she thought of the diary I think, but then Luna Lovegood, she had to wait outside, came in and talked to her alone, after that everything seemed to be okay with Ginny, I mean, we were all shocked when you were sorted into Slytherin, but Dumbledore talked to us about that last night." Ron said, looking at the floor. Tom didn't ask what Dumbledore had told them, that wasn't really important.  
  
"So, um, does Luna know it then, too?"  
  
"No, Ginny said she doesn't. Did you have that new teacher yet?"  
  
"No, only Flitwick. We'll have her tomorrow."  
  
"We're going to have her in the afternoon. I'm curious how she'll make it, the book sounds all right."  
  
"Certainly better than Umbridge."  
  
"Who wouldn't?"  
  
"You don't know where Hagrid is, do you?" Tom asked hopefully.  
  
"No idea. I hoped you knew. Do you think he's hurt?"  
  
"I don't know. Let's hope he's okay."  
  
"Dumbledore would have told us if he had been eaten by a Screwt, wouldn't he?"  
  
"I can only hope so."  
  
"Let's go to lunch, then." Ron said and they went to lunch, where they sat on each their tables. Tom was really happy, he hadn't been sure if Ron would still talk to him, in the Triwizard Tournament he hadn't.  
  
Tom listened half to Malfoy making jokes about Harry/Lupin and exchanged looks with his friends at the Grffindor table.  
  
At the staff table, Professor Dumbledore whispered something into Professor McGonagall's ear, and they both smiled.  
  
So, finished for today.  
  
Did you like the chapter, did you hate it?  
  
How do you like the way Ron and Tom's talk turned out?  
  
I'm still not sure about Tom's friends, I decided that they will be friends for now, but that doesn't mean it will stay that way. I want them to get a hard time, though, but I'm just unsure whether to have them really keep sticking together, Hermione yes, but Ron... I don't think I'll let Ron be Tom's friend all my fic...  
  
... so who wants Ron out?  
  
And do you want Tom to make friends with Malfoy, you only have to tell me your opinion.  
  
And does any of you have an idea where Hagrid is? There's a hint in the book.  
  
So, I'd like you to please REVIEW!  
  
And constructive criticism is always welcome! 


	9. Halloween

Alright, here's another chapter. Have been able to get to the computer. Intention and will is all you need.  
  
First I want to thank all my reviewers:  
  
HermioneGreen  
  
Kate Lynn  
  
jez two  
  
hgfhgfdjfjgf  
  
Shania Maxwell  
  
Launigsiae  
  
Norrie  
  
HoshiHikari4ever  
  
Sara (bewareofgodhotmail.com)  
  
Fiery Phoenix  
  
jeangab057  
  
MikiBaby  
  
amber-eyez  
  
'Mes  
  
cassie  
  
Slimpun  
  
HecateDeMort  
  
Ranchan17  
  
Carya  
  
MerlinHalliwell  
  
n6uos  
  
ShatteredxDream  
  
And all of you want something different... I won't have much friendship stuff in this chapter though... I wrote about that in the first Chapter 9 that was deleted but I don't remember what I had written there exactly so this one is completely different... and unfortunately shorter... but still, here it is.  
  
Chapter 9  
  
The days went by without much happening or changing. Politeness between him and his friends. It was not the same as it had been last year, every of them knew that, but no one said it aloud.  
  
Trelawney now foresaw Lupin's death, as she believed he was Harry, she hadn't gotten anything.  
  
Professor Candy turned out to be unnerving, she was all the time in her lesson babbling about the war between good and evil and how great Dumbledore was and that she was completely on his side. And she always had that parrot with her, it was like Filch and Mrs. Norris, only that Jackie, the parrot, could talk and help her find rule-breaking students. Strangely, she was the first Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher Snape did not seem to dislike. Indeed Tom saw them sticking their heads together at the staff table several times, and he was not the only one who noticed. A lot of students were already talking about it. Tom got to know the solution quick.  
  
"When we were in school, for the first time I mean, Snape was really unpopular as you know, and she was his only friend, but just as unpopular." Said Lupin when they met on the hall. "I think she was in Hufflepuff or something."  
  
Ah, Snape's only friend... well, miracles can happen.  
  
Tom noticed that Dumbledore kept an eye on him, although he knew that the old man still trusted him.  
  
He still shared Voldemort's feelings through his scar. And he started dreaming about walking through long, dark corridors with a scent of fear and death in the air. He wanted to find something in this maze of corridors, a certain place, but he never reached it in his dreams.  
  
It was really bothering Tom not to know more about that. He'd have liked to ask Voldemort, but that would have been too reckless.  
  
On the day of Halloween the riddle was finally solved.  
  
In the evening before, Tom was alone in the bathroom. He had come here because his scar was hurting. More then usually. Much more.  
  
Suddenly he felt, like one time in the last year, a great feeling of triumph and joy. At the same time, as if his head was splitting in two. He screamed and laughed at the same time, losing his balance. Sitting on the floor, he then wondered what this had been about.  
  
This question was answered on the next day by the front page headline of the Daily Prophet.  
  
SECOND MASS-BREAKOUT IN AZKABAN  
  
For the second time in history there has been a mass-breakout from Azkaban, the wizarding prison. This time we can tell that it was, exactly like the last time, he-who-must-not-be-named freeing his followers, known as Death Eaters. As the guards of the prison, the dementors, had already sided with them, the prison, was guarded by members of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad sent by the Ministry of Magic. All of them have been killed in the attack. The ministry, that was responsible for the safety of the prison, has again failed.  
  
Tom was a bit shocked, but he had known that something had happened. Dumbledore talked to him in private and asked him if he had had any idea of that before. Tom told him that he had felt pain in his scar in the evening but had not considered it so important.  
  
"From now on, inform me every time your scar hurts, please." Said Dumbledore. Tom promised.  
  
The breakout was now the conversation topic number one in Hogwarts. Most people were worried, some even hysterical.  
  
Malfoy was happy. "Now that father is free again we'll see who has the last word..." he told Lupin who reacted adult-like and didn't even look at him, which couldn't wipe the smirk off Malfoy's face, so Ron just made him vomit snails, which did indeed work. It also worked to get Ron a long detention with Snape.  
  
There were several students who were related to the killed people. Tom wasn't sure whether to feel sorry for them. He was torn between happiness about his father's triumph and his conscience.  
  
He knew that this night they were to meet in the Chamber of Secrets, and Tom was impatiently waiting for that, but the day just wouldn't go by. It had so many hours and minutes and seconds... so long to wait...  
  
Right after the Halloween feast that was held in a much worse mood that usual and ended quite early, he went to Myrtle's bathroom.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she snapped when she saw him. "This is a girls' bathroom! You're not a girl!"  
  
"I'm sorry, Myrtle, but I need to go in here. You let me be here before, actually." He said.  
  
"Do you think I'm stupid?" asked Myrtle, looking insulted. "I don't know you."  
  
"Yes you do." Said Tom. He knew he could trust her. "It's me, Harry, I only look different."  
  
"And you expect me to believe that now." Said Myrtle.  
  
"I'll explain it to you, okay?" Tom told her the whole story without letting anything out, even how he had stayed with Voldemort over the summer and was now supposed to meet him at one o'clock.  
  
"Okay, I think I believe you." Said Myrtle hesitantly. "So the guy who caused my death is your father?"  
  
"Um... actually... yes."  
  
"Cool, I mean, I'm dead because of him, that's bad, but when Olive Hornby came in here and found my body..."  
  
Tom listened to the story of Olive Hornby, which was definitely not short. When Myrtle had finished, it was time to go down to the chamber.  
  
"I need to go now, Myrtle." He said. "Please don't talk to anybody about what I've told you, alright? Because I don't want them to know."  
  
"I swear that I won't." she said, proud that he trusted her so much. "I can keep secrets."  
  
Tom smiled at her and hissed at the sink "Open!"   
  
It moved and the hole appeared in the wall. He got in and slithered down and went into the Chamber of Secrets.  
  
No one was there yet. He walked around and looked at the stone monuments and columns. He had not had a good look at them the last time he had been here, but now he noticed how beautiful they were. He wondered where the basilisk was. It looked like someone had cleaned the room up. There were no more signs from the fight in Tom's second year. The Tom from the diary had talked about the strange similarities between them. If he had known...  
  
"Waiting for someone?" a cold, high-pitched voice asked from behind him.  
  
"Yes, for you." Tom said and turned around to find Lord Voldemort standing there. They looked into each others eyes for a moment, then Tom asked "What has happened to the basilisk?"  
  
"I cleaned up a bit here." Said Voldemort, looking around. "The place means much to me."  
  
"So you've got your Death Eaters back now." Stated Tom.  
  
"Obviously." Said his father. "I know you don't like them, but don't be angry, you know that I do things like that."  
  
"Yeah, it's okay with me." Said Tom. And that was true.  
  
The Dark Lord smiled his twisted lipless smile.  
  
"Anyways, what happened to you in the meantime? Do you still have these dreams?"  
  
"Yes, I dreamed about these strange dark corridors all the time." Said Tom. "And about you talking to a woman. She gave you some papers or so."  
  
"Well, I'd say the corridors are those in Azkaban. I've been thinking about it a lot. They have turned it into a maze, you know. The kind where you get in peril danger at every wrong turn. Wise move, I must say. But dear Hestia Jones, she must have been the one you saw, is a spy for me in the Order of the Phoenix. She got the plans from the ministry for me." Explained Voldemort. "What's it like here with the old fool and all?"  
  
Tom told him all about Dumbledore, the new teacher, how he didn't know how to get along with his friends anymore, and that he had just talked to Myrtle.  
  
"I have thought about our communication problem." Said Voldemort after he had finished and gave Tom some kind of black eraser. "This is an eraser of secrets. There are always two that fit together, I have the other one. When you write me a letter, rub it with that and what you have written will turn invisible, and I can make it visible again with my one. And the other way round. So if our letters are intercepted, no one will be able to read them, even if they own an eraser of secrets, no other will work."  
  
"That's good." Said Tom and put the eraser into his pocket. "I'd like to know what Dumbledore is planning to do now. I mean, he has to react to that breakout somehow."  
  
"Me too." Said Voldemort. "He has to do something, many people are relying on him now. And I'm sure he's wondering why he didn't get any information about it before. Might have noticed by now that I didn't believe that traitor Snape a word when he said that he wanted to come back that night. Arrived just in time for having received instructions from the muggle- lover."  
  
"And what are you planning to do now?"  
  
"Well, find out what your headmaster is up to."  
  
"If I find out anything I'll tell you." Said Tom. It dawned on him that he had just offered Voldemort, the Dark Lord, to spy for him.  
  
"If you don't mind..." said Voldemort with a clearly doubtful tone in his voice.  
  
"I don't." said Tom determined. He had not offered his services to the Dark Lord, he had offered them to his father. And that made a difference.  
  
Tom had to go to bed now, it would have looked suspicious if he had stayed.  
  
He said goodbye and sneaked off to the Slytherin dungeon.  
  
That was it for today, but I'll update as soon as I can. Next chapter will probably be more about the characters' interaction. 


	10. Letters and friends

Here's another chapter. And you can't say it took me long.  
  
Thanks for the reviews to:  
  
HecateDeMort  
  
Launigsiae  
  
HoshiHikari4ever  
  
Chapter 10  
  
The next morning Hermione pulled Tom into an empty classroom on the way to breakfast.  
  
"What the-"he said, but Hermione cut him off.  
  
"It's terrible!" she said desperately. "Lavender has been crying her eyes all day yesterday, and she still is, and we just can't help her. Her father used to work for the ministry and guard Azkaban and he died in the breakout. And she's not the only one. We have to do something!"  
  
"But what?" asked Tom. He knew that, he had also seen more that one person crying yesterday.  
  
"What if we start the DA again? You and Lupin could lead it together." asked Hermione.  
  
"That won't bring anyone back either, and we still won't be able to save people." Said Tom, not seeing any sense in that.  
  
"No, but think about the department of Mysteries, if we hadn't known that stuff there... and after what happened yesterday a lot more people would do anything to learn it. We could make it an official organization for everybody this time. Please Tom, at least think about it!" said Hermione breathlessly.  
  
"Okay, I'll think about it if it's so important to you." Said Tom.  
  
"Thank you", said Hermione, regaining her normal confident tone of voice. "Let's go to breakfast now, I still have to finish my homework before class."  
  
"You haven't finished your homework?! Of all people, YOU?!" Tom asked amazedly.  
  
"No, I was helping Parvati comfort Lavender all day."  
  
"And Ron?" asked Tom.  
  
Hermione shifted uncomfortably. "He... he was with... with Ginny..." she said hesitantly.  
  
Tom knew there was more about this, but he also knew that he wouldn't get it from Hermione at the moment.  
  
So they went to breakfast. Later Tom sat down in the common room and wrote a letter to Voldemort.  
  
Dear father,  
  
My friend Hermione has asked me to start the DA again. I think I have already told you about it, Dumbledore's Army. I guess she'll insist on it, and I can understand that she wants to do it but I don't want to get in your way. What do you think I should do?  
  
Yours, Tom  
  
He rubbed the letter with the eraser and sealed it. Then he stood up to go to the owlery, but Malfoy stopped him.  
  
"Who are you sending that letter to?" he asked interestedly.  
  
"That's none of your business." Said Tom harshly. What was Malfoy thinking, he could always poke his nose into other people's business?  
  
Malfoy glared angrily at Tom, then turned around with dignity and went over to Crabbe and Goyle.  
  
Tom didn't care and went to the owlery. He picked one of the school owls and tied the letter to its leg.  
  
"Take this to Lord Voldemort, okay?" he said.  
  
The owl hooted and flew away. Tom wanted to go towards the exit, but froze when he saw Draco Malfoy standing in the door, a smirk on his face.  
  
"So, we're a supporter of the Dark Lord, are we not?" said Malfoy softly.  
  
"I don't see why that concerns you," said Tom coldly, "but no, you're wrong."  
  
"Why did you write a letter to him, then?" insisted Malfoy.  
  
"As I said before, that does not concern you. But I tell you to keep out of this, for your own good." Tom walked past an angry looking Malfoy, leaving him there.  
  
He went to the dormitory and threw himself on his bed, furious. Sylvie stuck her head out of his pocket.  
  
"What's the matter?" she asked.  
  
"Malfoy! How dare he! He spied on me and saw me sending a letter to Voldemort. And now I have no idea what he'll do, what if he tells somebody?"   
  
"Oh. You want me to spy on him?" suggested Sylvie. "So that I can tell you what he does. And he won't see me, I promise. It would be so much fun."   
  
"Okay." said Tom, calmed down by her enthusiasm.  
  
"Cool, I'll start immediately." With that Sylvie was gone.  
  
At dinner Tom looked for Ron to find out what Hermione hadn't told him, but when he had reached Gryffindor table he and Ginny were gone.  
  
He didn't get any opportunity to talk to them the next days and he tried to avoid Hermione until he had received an answer from Voldemort. Malfoy had done nothing but ignoring Tom.  
  
A few days later the school owl brought him a letter at breakfast. He pocketed it to read it later when he was alone. Malfoy was watching him curiously, for the first time in days he stopped ignoring Tom. But when Tom noticed, he immediately concentrated on his toast again.  
  
In the break Tom went outside and stood in a corner at the wall where nobody was close and opened his letter and made it visible.  
  
My dear Tom,  
  
If you want to you can of course continue the DA. I do not believe you will get in my way too much. On the contrary, it will look like nothing had changed between us to the old fool. Tell me when your next Hogsmead weekend is, and if you want to meet me there.  
  
Your father, Lord Voldemort  
  
"Hey, Tom," said Hermione who had just turned up next to Tom. "Took me a while to find you, here in this corner. What have you got there?" She pointed to the letter in Tom's hand.  
  
Absolutely no privacy. "Oh, that's just a letter..." he put it away quickly. "Anyways, why have you been looking for me?"  
  
"To ask you if you have decided about the DA yet. So have you?"  
  
"Um... yes, I think we should do it." Said Tom.  
  
Hermione's face lit up. "That'll be great! Can you go and ask Professor Dumbledore?"  
  
"Yes, why not. Besides, what's Ron's opinion about this? I haven't been able to talk to him for days."  
  
Hermione's face fell. She struggled to speak. "Oh, well... he... er... I mean, you know him... we just have to be a little patient with him, that's all..."  
  
"Hermione, what exactly do you mean with that?" asked Tom sharply.  
  
"Um, just... Oh, Tom!" exclaimed Hermione. "He said that you had known about the breakout because of your scar and that you didn't say anything to cover Voldemort!"  
  
"He said WHAT?" said Tom shocked.  
  
"I know," said Hermione, now on the edge of tears, "I didn't believe him, of course, but he convinced Ginny. I had a horrible argument with them, but they just keep refusing to believe me!"  
  
"Oh... that's... I think I have to be alone for a while, okay?" said Tom, still completely shocked.  
  
"Yes, of course." Said Hermione sadly. "We have Care of Magical Creatures next, I'll excuse you."  
  
"Thanks." Tom hurried to Myrtle's bathroom and slammed the door shut behind him, then sank down to the floor and leaned on the wall. He'd stay in this bathroom until the evening, he didn't want to meet Ron in class.  
  
"Are you mad?" snapped Myrtle. She had jumped into the air at the noise. But when she saw Tom her tone became worried. "What's the matter?"  
  
"I don't believe it, I just don't believe it..." Tom said, more to himself than to Myrtle. "I mean, I knew they didn't take it well, but that they would do something like that... I didn't expect that..."  
  
It felt like last year when Percy had written that letter to Ron... only that this time, he thought with a new wave of despair, it was not so untrue...  
  
"They are not right, you know." Myrtle said in a comforting voice.  
  
"What?" asked Tom and looked up at her confused.  
  
"They said something mean about you, didn't they?"  
  
"Er- yes..."  
  
"They always do. And sometimes you even believe they're right, that's the worst. But go your way, even if you think they are right. Let them hate you, but don't let them get to you and hide in a bathroom. Trust me, I have experience." Myrtle sounded confident, Tom didn't know her like that. He couldn't suppress a slight smile.  
  
"Go back to class at once." Myrtle ordered strictly. "And don't show any weakness or you'll end up like me."  
  
Tom gave in and went to Care of Magical Creatures. This was probably some kind of personal war for Myrtle, too.  
  
Hermione was amazed to see him back so fast. They worked together on their Ougle, a small weasel-like creature with poisonous fangs. Ron worked with Lupin and not even once looked over to Tom and Hermione.  
  
After class he wrote back to Voldemort.  
  
Dear father,  
  
The next Hogsmead weekend is next weekend. Of course I want to meet you. I don't really know what to do at the moment, Ron who was my best friend is not talking to me anymore. Neither is his sister, Ginny. They think I had covered you when my scar hurt. Hermione told me. And now I have to talk to Dumbledore about the DA. That'll be fun.  
  
Yours, Tom  
  
He sealed the letter and let a school owl deliver it again, this time carefully looking if anyone followed him. You make mistakes to learn out of them.  
  
Okay, another chapter done!  
  
I want your opinion now: How dark want you Tom to become?  
  
And remember: please review! 


	11. Suspicions and threats

A/N: Here is another too short chapter that I have taken a long time to update. (sorry)

Alright, about Malfoy. They won't be friends at the moment cause I don't think that you'd befriend your archenemy all of a sudden, just because he doesn't know who you are. That with Voldemort was enough for the beginning. Later on that might be possible, but at the moment I have decided against it. Sorry for those who wanted them to become friends.  
  
And Tom will slowly become darker (everyone seems to want it) and be totally on Voldemort's side. The last reviewer asked me to let him kill someone, so that'll happen in one of the next chapters I guess. I'm pretty sure it won't be right the next one though.  
  
And thanks to my great reviewers! You guys helped me a lot.  
  
Launigsiae : Yes, looks like most of you do!  
  
HecateDeMort : Thank you!  
  
ShatteredxDream : Thanks, Draco will realize, but not immediately.  
  
anonymous : that might take some time though.  
  
lestrange24 : Thank you, I always like new readers!  
  
HoshiHikari4ever : Yeah... thanks for the review!  
  
Lady Phasma : alright, thank you!  
  
Ouroboros Vipertooth : Thanks, you got your wish.  
  
remusisyummy : Thanks!  
  
The Dark Flame : yo, thank you!  
  
Shania Maxwell : Well, Ron probably not, and about Draco... not at the moment... but Hermione, yes. At least that.  
  
Kees : Thank you, sorry 'bout Draco... but I agree, the question is definitely funny.  
  
vampire-serpent : thank you!!  
  
Alex riddle-granger : yeah, just tell me who (or whom, whatever)!  
  
**Chapter 11**  
  
"Cockroach Clusters... Sherbet Lemon... Chocolate frogs... Ice mice... Can't you just move aside?... Bertie Blott's every flavor beans... Butter beer... Lemon drops..." Tom was standing in front of Dumbledore's office and trying to figure out the password. "... Pepper Imps... Bloody Muffins... hey, I hadn't thought that one would work..."  
  
The last one was apparently right, so Tom stood on the moving staircase. At the end, he knocked on the door of the office.  
  
"Come in." Dumbledore called from inside.  
  
Tom did so. He remained close to the door and looked at the headmaster who was sitting behind his desk, wearing a hat that looked like one of those Hermione had made for the house-elves. "Am I disturbing you, sir? I wanted to talk to you." He asked politely, looking around in the round office. The picture of one headmaster – Armando Dippet – looked at him quite surprised. Tom remembered seeing him in his father's diary – he had been headmaster when Voldemort had been at school.  
  
"Ah, no, of course not, Mr. Riddle. What is it that you want to say?" Dumbledore asked merrily.  
  
Tom pulled his attention away from the sword. "Hermione and I had the idea to continue with the DA meetings, so Remus Lupin and I could teach together."  
  
Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a moment, then he said "That's a wonderful idea, how about we put up notices in the common rooms about it, so that everyone can join?"  
  
"Yeah, okay. So – let's say we'll meet right on Thursday and decide on a regular meeting time."  
  
"Great. It's good that you don't let yourself lose the right path because of minor things."  
  
"Yes. Um – Professor, may I ask you a question?"  
  
"Of course you may. Ask."  
  
"What are you going to do now? About Voldemort, I mean. He's got all his Death Eaters back. And it's just a matter of time till more people die, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes, you are right.", answered Dumbledore slowly. "But you need not worry. Besides, have you had any dreams lately?"  
  
The old fool just changed the subject! But Tom replied, "Yes, I had several dreams about some creepy corridor. But nothing really happened, there was just the corridor."  
  
"Oh.", was all that Dumbledore said.  
  
"So what are you going to do now?" Tom didn't want to give up so fast.  
  
Dumbledore looked uncomfortable. "Most of it is secret business of the order, so I can't tell you everything. But I think it's even better if you don't know that much, I don't want you in any problems or... well, things like that. We're not quite sure what Voldemort has in mind at the moment. Don't be worried, and please inform me about any dreams."  
  
Tom should tell Dumbledore everything when the old man told him nothing? But, knowing the old man, he would not get a better answer. "Thank you sir. Goodbye." And he left.  
  
The next morning at breakfast the school owl came with the other owls and held out her leg with a letter.  
  
"Thanks.", said Tom friendly and gave her a piece of bread, untied the letter and let it slip into his bag. Again he noticed Malfoy's curious gaze, and this time, making him curse quietly, also Dumbledore's.  
  
When he left the hall the headmaster held him back. "Good morning, I noticed you received a letter today – may I ask who was so kind?"  
  
Tom would have liked to deny in a very rude tone, but he had to stay polite. "Oh... yes – it was from Tonks. I decided not to open it in there, it might contain something confidential."  
  
"Yes, that was very clever of you. I'm proud.", said Dumbledore and smiled happily and patted Tom's shoulder.  
  
Tom forced himself to return the smile. "Professor, I need to go to class now."  
  
"Yes, right." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Have a nice day!"  
  
Later he read the letter.  
  
_Dear Tom,  
  
Meet me in Hogsmeade on Saturday around noon at the house on the left side of Zonko's. Enter through the back door.  
  
Be careful.  
  
Lord Voldemort_  
  
On Thursday evening many students had decided to attend the meeting in the room of requirement which grew much bigger because of that. A lot of people were eager to learn how to defend themselves because of Voldemort's return. Even Malfoy and his cronies had turned up which was a bit worrying. It was good that there were two teachers now, one probably wouldn't have been able to do all that alone. They voted to meet every Thursday evening as none of the houses had Quidditch practice then.  
  
"That's wonderful, isn't it? I mean, that we have restarted the DA and all...", said Hermione afterwards. She had very well noticed that Tom was depressed. And he definitely had a reason.  
  
Ron and Ginny had attended the meeting. At first Tom had been confident that that was a sign that they were giving him at least a chance and had approached them and tried to talk to them, but they had determinedly ignored him. So he had given it up, feeling completely downcast. Why, just why had they abandoned him like this? In a way, they were right, yes, but they sided with the old fool who hadn't even given them a reason to hate Tom, rather than with their friend? He should never have trusted them in the first place, them, with all their prejudices.  
  
In the wizarding world it seemed to be all about blood. When he had met Ron, had he been better than Malfoy? No, he had also hated Malfoy before even knowing him, based on what he had heard about his family. Then, Malfoy hated people because they were not pureblood, also based on what he had heard about them. Actually the whole thing seemed quite stupid to Tom, as he now had changed sides. He was fitting in everywhere, but what counted in the end was what he had been born into. And as long as he couldn't change the rules, he would be on the pureblood side.  
  
Without hating muggleborns, of course. He did hate muggles, at least the ones he knew, he was sure that there were some less... horrible muggles somewhere out there, but he didn't know them. And he didn't think that people like Malfoy or a lot of those other purebloods could really hate muggles. They didn't know any. They repeated what they had been told by their parents who had been told it by their own parents. That was not hate. It could be dislike, they could be convinced that they hated muggles, but it could never be true hate. What Voldemort felt towards muggles was real hate, or what Tom felt, because they had experienced first-handedly how muggles had made their lives miserable. But you could not hate what you did not know.  
  
He smiled at Hermione and said, "Yeah, it's wonderful. Wait till we start the lessons, that'll be fun. With so many people... We'll have to start with some of the easier things, though."  
  
Hermione looked relieved that he didn't lose his temper. In the common room he was eagerly awaited by Judy and another seventh year, Glenn. They had also attended the DA meeting.  
  
"Hi, Tom! That's great, that you are doing this! Amazing! How did you get that teaching job?" Julie smiled. "Those Weasleys didn't look as if they were very pleased about it, though, but that's good, you know. I'd say they're a bit stupid. Fred and George were alright, though... they're twins and have graduated here last year. But the younger ones... oh, well", she sighed, "they're not my problem. But tell me, how did you get to teach along with Potter?"  
  
"Oh, at my old school I was really good in Defense Against the Dark Arts, my old headmaster mentioned it to Dumbledore, so he offered me this."  
  
"That's cool.", said Glenn. He didn't talk too much, he was always calm and collected. Tom enjoyed being around him because he always had this relaxing aura around him.  
  
"We've still got to do a lot of homework.", reminded Judy.  
  
"Trelawney's told us to write an essay about the different kinds of shapes in crystal balls, I guess she was angry cause some people couldn't stop themselves from bursting out laughing last lesson.", complained Tom.  
  
They sat in the chairs close to the fireplace. Tom watched the fire. It reminded him of the Gryffindor Tower, he had often sat in chairs with his friends and looked into the fire. Judy waved an hand in front of his face and he got his book and parchment out and started to work. It didn't work very well, even though he asked Glenn and Judy to help him.  
  
"You know, when we had Trelawney for the first time she told us that we had to be able to see, and then she knocked into the table in front of her... that was cool..." said Judy.  
  
"Don't take it serious, just make something up. If you don't have the sight, you won't see.", said Glenn who usually took school almost as serious as Hermione, only that he never got nervous about it. "That professor hasn't got any idea on her subject, she's just putting up a show, my aunt and uncle are real seers, that's a totally different thing."  
  
"Yeah, I met them, they're really good. A bit cryptic maybe.", agreed Judy. "Glenn has inherited some of the sight, too."  
  
"Really?" Tom was surprised, he hadn't known that. "You're a seer?"  
  
"Kind of. I cannot see something often or even on purpose but if I do then it's usually true. It's not always the future, sometimes it's also the past.", explained Glenn. "The problem is, it's easy to misinterpret sometimes."  
  
After they had done their homework they kept talking for some time until they all became tired and went to their dorm rooms. Tom put his bag on the floor and sat down on his bed. A cough turned his attention to the other side of the room. Malfoy was sitting on his own bed, obviously awaiting him. Everybody else was asleep. Tom looked at Malfoy, not saying a word.  
  
"I want to know what's going on.", demanded Malfoy.  
  
"What do you mean?", asked Tom, playing ignorant.  
  
"You know what I mean.", said Malfoy. "You, Riddle. What you are playing at. On which side you are."  
  
"I still don't see that that's your business."  
  
"First, you tell me you're neutral. Then, I see you writing letters to the Dark Lord. Next, you're leading Dumbledore's army. I'm confused and I don't like it. So would you mind enlighten me?"  
  
Tom raised an eyebrow. "And risk you betraying me? I don't think so. You'll have to endure confusion, I'm sorry."  
  
Malfoy looked furious. Tom wouldn't have been surprised to see steam coming out of his ears. "My father is in the Dark Lord's inner circle, as you already know. If you don't tell me, I will write him."  
  
"This won't help you a lot, except maybe get you in trouble, Malfoy. In lots of trouble. So risk your life if you feel the need, but don't say I had not warned you." Tom was getting really annoyed, he had to do something about Malfoy.  
  
"What, you want to kill me?", asked Malfoy, torn between being afraid and making fun of Tom.  
  
Harsher means were necessary. "Did I say I would? Alright, I'm on Voldemort's side, and if I ask him he'll kill you and your family. Your father doesn't know about me and neither does any other Death Eater. Dumbledore thinks I'm on his side. And if you tell a soul about this, even your family, you are dead, believe me or not. And stop annoying me. Do I make myself clear?"  
  
"You could be lying.", said Malfoy, but he was clearly losing his confidence.  
  
"You want to try out? Go on then, who cares about a few more dead bodies.", said Tom icily. "And if you tell your father, trust me, I will know."  
  
Malfoy was silent, but Tom was sure that he would not try anything anymore. Fear stood in Malfoy's face, fear of Tom.  
  
Tom turned off the light and went to bed. Soon he felt Sylvie slither next to him on the pillow.  
  
"What were you talking about with that boy?" she hissed. "You looked angry."   
  
"He wanted to get me to tell him about my father and threatened to write to his. That would be really bad, because his father would surely recognize my name. Not many people would, but that man, yes." he hissed back quietly, aware of Malfoy still being awake. "Can you look out if he writes any letters, and if he does, tell me immediately, alright?"   
  
"Yes, I'd love to. Sleep well."   
  
"You too. Goodnight." And Sylvie glided away again.  
  
Tom made a mental note to tell Voldemort about Malfoy in Hogsmeade. He hadn't meant to threaten Malfoy, he just hadn't known what else to do, and it had been the best way to make him shut up. But it had actually been good, maybe it had been a bit reckless, but he had scared Malfoy, and he had enjoyed that. A small smile formed on his face, invisible in the darkness.  
  
On Friday afternoon Defense Against the Dark Arts was cancelled because Professor Candy's parrot was sick and she couldn't leave him alone. So Tom was sitting in the library and studying. The next day he was planning to meet Voldemort. He was just busy reading 'A collection of nonsensical spells that you never need' to Sylvie who, having left Malfoy for a while as he was hanging out with Crabbe and Goyle which bored her to death, was coiled up on his lap and having fun making jokes about the spells, when Hermione rushed in.  
  
"I've been looking for you everywhere.", she panted. "Good news – Hagrid's back!"

A/N: That was it for today, but I'll be able to post the next chapter soon – sorry that I can't do it regularly.  
  
As I said above, Tom will in a few chapters make his first kill – when exactly depends – and I need you to tell me who you want to die.  
  
And I think I'll make these house-point questions. Tell me which house you are in and for every right answer there are points. Alright?  
  
So, first question:  
  
Where was Hagrid and what was he doing? (25 points) And it's not that difficult, he says so in book 5.  
  
And you're all invited to give me suggestions if you have any.  
  
Please review!!!


	12. Hagrid and the meeting

Sorry for not updating earlier, it's become really hard for me to use a computer. I don't know whether I can update more regularly in future, but hey, there's hope.

Thank you for your reviews: HecateDeMort, Shadowface, Tara-Yo, loony, lestrange24, sparrow, Carya, Shania Maxwell, Wanamaker, rini, ???, lCiel, Itasuko-chan, Azylumniaque

HecateDeMort and loony answered my question… I love you.

And Carya, thanks for your e-mail… very motivating.

You're just great, all of you. THANK YOU!!!!!

Chapter 12

Tom put his book away immediately and Sylvie hid under his sleeve. Then Tom went to Hagrid's hut with Hermione. They walked over the grounds in a quick pace, thick raindrops pouring from the clouded sky and coldness chilling them to their bones.

"What are we going to tell him?", asked Tom worriedly while holding his bag over his head, trying to keep himself at least a little bit dry. "I mean, he won't know me, right?"

"We're just telling him the truth.", said Hermione. "He likes you so much, he'd never abandon you."

"That's what I thought of Ron, too.", said Tom darkly. But he agreed with Hermione, Hagrid wasn't like that.

When they reached the hut, he remained a few steps behind, to not be immediately seen. Hermione knocked on the door. After a few seconds it was opened by a bruised and bloodied Rubeus Hagrid. Hermione and Tom stared at him in shock. Last year Hagrid hadn't looked very good either but this time it was even worse.

"Hagrid – what has happened to you?", asked Hermione, looking up and down on him. "You look terrible!"

"Hermione! I should've known you'd turn up so soon!", he exclaimed with a big smile and pulled Hermione into a bone-crushing hug that lifted her into the air. "Where are Harry and Ron?" He let go off Hermione and looked around, now noticing Tom who was still standing in the rain and holding his bag over his head. "And who's that?"

"We'll explain that inside. Let's just sit down and maybe have some tea.", said Hermione, gently shoving Hagrid inside and motioning for Tom to follow. He was glad to be inside, he and Hermione were wet from head to foot and he felt really frozen through. The hut was warm and cozy, there was only little light from outside but Hagrid had made a big fire. Hagrid immediately turned to preparing a large pot of tea and Hermione pulled Tom down on a chair in a shadowy corner and sat down on another chair close to his, blocking Hagrid's sight on Tom as the half-giant still hadn't been able to get a good look on the son of the man who had been responsible for him being expelled and much more things that were a lot worse.

"What happened to you?", repeated Hermione. "Have you gone to the giants again?"

Hagrid chuckled. "I can't keep anything from you kids, can I?"

"Well, it was kind of… obvious.", Hermione said while Hagrid started looking for cups.

"I've found Grawpy a nice lady friend."

Hermione gasped for air. "You mean – there are two giants in the forest now?!"

"Yep.", Hagrid said contently and balanced the tray with cups and the teapot towards the wooden table, filled three cups of tea and handed each of them one. When he looked at Tom he stopped dead in his tracks. He blinked and looked again. Then he shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. "You – you really remind me of someone."

Tom shifted uncomfortably and lowered his head and let his wet dark hair hang in front of his face.

"Hagrid, please sit down.", ordered Hermione now firmly. "We need to talk about a few things."

She took her hot cup of tea and started sipping of it. Hagrid sat down, too.

"So what's up?", he asked, looking slightly worried.

"Nothing too bad.", explained Hermione. "It's about Harry – nothing's happened to him, of course – but we found out a few… kind of disturbing facts… but as I said, it's not that bad, I mean, he's still himself and all, well, in a way…" She shot a pleading look at Tom.

He decided to continue. One more time. "Okay, I'll just get over with it quickly. Look, Hagrid, actually I'm Harry. I just look different." Hermione nodded confirmative.

Hagrid was clearly confused. He looked at Tom with his black beetle-like eyes again. "Harry? But – why do you look like this?"

"And I've got another name now.", Tom said, looking into Hagrid's eyes. "I found some things out over the summer. About my parents. I think – did you notice whom I look like?"

"Yes, um…" Hagrid hesitated. "Well, you kinda look a bit… like… like You-Know-Who at your age… that's really strange."

Tom closed his fingers around his hot cup nervously. "Yeah, exactly. I'm still the Harry you know and so, but my name is now Tom Riddle, too."

Hagrid stared at him as if he had lost his mind.

"That has a good, logical explanation, you know.", said Hermione. "Although it sounds really strange."

"Yes, it has, but it's a bit freaky, you know.", said Tom.

"Then come to the point, I can't bear the curiosity.", said Hagrid and tried a smile. "Why are you called You-Know-Who's name, and what's with your parents?"

"They were not my parents.", said Tom gravely, wanting it to be over. "Lily and James Potter. They were not my parents. Dumbledore made us all believe so, but it's not true."

Everybody was silent. Hagrid needed some time comprehending this. He realized that Tom was serious, but didn't get a thing. After a while he asked, "And who is it, then?"

"Tom Riddle and Matilda Black. I was named after my father."

Again, this heavy silence. Hagrid looked completely shocked. Understandable. But he caught himself quite soon. "You're You-Know-Who's son?"

"Yes." Tom just wanted to turn into thin air or something.

"I knew… or know, whatever… is she still alive?… Matilda. She was at school here with her family and with… er… Lily.", said Hagrid quietly. "I didn't know her well, but… she seemed pretty nice. So… you say she's your mother? But… how? I don't understand anything."

"They were married. She's dead. Dumbledore kidnapped her when she was pregnant with me and then killed her right after I was born and gave me to Lily and James and placed a charm over me to make me look like them. But Lily was her friend, so she made the spell wear off when I was sixteen, and my mother sent me a dream of how she named me and Dumbledore killed her. Dumbledore told me the rest then. Now the funny thing is that Harry Potter is in fact Voldemort's son. But please don't be angry at me now, it was also a shock for me and I only hope it doesn't affect our friendship."

Hagrid stared at Tom for some moments. Then his eyes became watery, and a single tear trickled down his face into his beard. "It doesn't.", he croaked, stood up and hugged Tom so tightly and long that he almost fainted from the lack of air.

"Than-thank you… this really… means so much to me.", panted Tom after Hagrid had let go of him. Hermione smiled.

"This is a great shock for me, how great I'll probably need some time for actually realization, but I'll always stand beside you. Especially in times like this, when you need it.", promised Hagrid. "Anyway, where is Ron?"

Tom looked at the floor. "Well, he… he didn't react as well as you did."

"What?!", roared Hagrid. "He hasn't… he has not quit being friends with you, has he?"

"He did.", answered Hermione instead of Tom. "And Ginny, too."

Hagrid was fuming. "That's… I'd have thought more of him! I'd have thought he'd stick to a friend!"

Tom was happy that Hagrid was so concerned about him. They told him everything that had happened while he was gone (at least all that Hermione knew), about the DA, their new teacher and Tom said that he got along with Judy and Glenn quite well. Hagrid also knew them and liked them, especially Judy who was very interested in magical creatures.

Then they asked Hagrid about the giantess again.

"Well, I went to the mountains again with a photo of Grawp. I didn't take him with me, that would have taken really long. But his English was improving very fast, so Aragog agreed to look after him while I was gone.", he explained. "So I had to find a nice girl for him. To my luck, most of the giants had forgotten about me and Olympe. Don't like to remember things. Golgomath was dead already, but the other gurg supported You-Know-Who, too. So I had to be careful. At night I went looking in the caves for a lovely giantess. And I even found one who spoke English and liked the idea of coming here. She didn't mind that Grawpy's not that that big, she's a bit small herself. Her name is Selma, by the way. But although we were careful we got into a fight with another giant. That was really bad. She's quite a fighter, Selma, just the right lady for Grawp."

They kept talking for some time, neither Tom nor Hermione particularly liked the idea of two giants in the forest.

When they left, Hagrid pulled the curtains aside and watched through the window as the two students walked up to the school through the rain.

The next day was the trip to Hogsmeade. Tom (he had asked Sylvie to keep an eye on Malfoy especially out of the castle) walked together with Glenn and Judy, discussing the matter if it should be allowed to keep dragons (Judy insisted on her point that everybody who knew how to keep them should be allowed to) when Pansy Parkinson and her friend Blaise Zabini caught up with them.

"Can we walk with you?", asked Pansy.

"Yes, if you want to…" Tom didn't want to be rude, but the two girls had a habit of being a bit annoying. Judy rolled her eyes and Glenn didn't show in any way that he had taken notice of the girls.

"That's so cool that you're doing this club thing – what was it again? – the DA.", chirped Blaise who was walking beside Tom.

"Er… yeah, thanks."

"Oh, look, there are Granger, Potter and the Weasleys!!!", she screeched suddenly and pointed at the Gryffindors. "Ooooh, isn't that cuuute! Ickle Potty's own fan club! And such an ugly mudblood bitch!"

Hermione, Ron, Lupin and Ginny turned around. "Shut up, will you! I'll make you!", yelled Ron, shaking his fist. Hermione had to hold his arms in order to keep him from running to the Slytherins and punching them.

"Yeah, you two make a nice couple, too!", shouted Ginny. "Two of the same sort, you wannabe-Death-Eaters, you!"

"The little girl needs to run to mommy crying, doesn't she?", called Pansy and Blaise started to giggle uncontrollably. Tom didn't have a clue on what to do, why did they have to be so stupid?

"Now, stop it, what's this about?", asked Glenn loudly in a slow and deep voice. Miraculously everyone did stop and went their way, although Blaise and Pansy were unable to stop their giggling.

The walk proved to be a test of Tom's patience. A difficult test. Blaise had clung firmly onto his arm and was giving him difficulties to keep up with the others because she kept on pulling him behind all the time and continued to annoy him with her girlish behavior, although he figured that was not what she actually wanted. When they had almost reached the village she stopped abruptly.

"What's the matter?", asked Tom.

Blaise looked deep into his eyes as if she were trying to hypnotize him. She pulled him closer and looked even deeper. He didn't get anything. She giggled again, then she squeaked, "I really like you, Tom." And before he could react she had wrapped her arms around him and crushed her lips on his. He was in shock for a second, then struggled out of her grasp.

"Er, Blaise… I… I'm sorry, but… I really have to go now.", he stuttered and ran in the direction of the village. He vaguely noticed Pansy who had been watching curiously… well, can you guess?… yes, giggle, what else.

The first shop that Tom reached was Honeydukes. He hurried inside and started looking around, hoping that Blaise wouldn't come after him. A few minutes later the door opened again and Judy and Glenn came in.

"You have a girlfriend! How lovely.", teased Judy.

"She's definitely not my girlfriend.", grumbled Tom. "And won't ever be."

"You sure?"

"Positively."

The three friends bought a lot of sweets, Tom even bought Cockroach Clusters for Sylvie. Then, after checking for signs of Blaise, they left the shop. On the street Tom almost ran into Hermione.

"Hey, I've been looking for you.", she said. "I told Ron and Ginny that I wanted to go back and study, because I want to talk to you, so I can just hope they don't see us. Let's go into the Three Broomsticks, okay?"

"Yes, sure." They said goodbye to Judy and Glenn and went into the pub ordered butterbeer and sat down a table in a corner behind a large pot plant.

"So, what's up?", asked Tom.

"Well, you probably won't like this. Professor Dumbledore talked to us yesterday, us being Lupin, Ron, Ginny and me. You know that they think you could have prevented that Azkaban escape, and Dumbledore confessed that he had been thinking of that, too, although he doubts it. But he said that he wanted to make sure he knows, unfortunately I have no idea how. Lupin told us that he didn't believe you capable of this. And Dumbledore asked me to keep an eye on you. I agreed, but I think he knew I wasn't serious, I mean, I really do trust you, I wouldn't ever be your friend if you'd be in with You-Know-Who, but that's just ridiculous. You hate him." She said this utterly confident, without any hint of a doubt in her voice.

"Yes, it is…", Tom replied dizzily. He felt guilty betraying the one person who blindly trusted him. He hadn't done anything really unmorally in his opinion, but still… it was enough to count as betrayal.

Hermione didn't notice the momentarily lost look on his face and went on talking. "So, how's your school work going?"

"Oh, it's fine.", answered Tom who was glad for the change of subject. "I'm getting better grades than ever. And what about you?"

"It's good that you study without me telling you to all the time, Ron wouldn't. I still study enough, too, but at the moment I'm spending most of my time with S.P.E.W. projects. I'm just working on some leaflets." She smiled. "This is really important to me, the elves seriously need to be defended, and they don't do it themselves because of the brainwashing they get, like that the couldn't have fun and do what they want…"

They kept talking until Tom looked at his watch and told Hermione that he had an appointment to attend to. He didn't specify what it was, and she didn't ask.

He rushed to the meeting place, an old yellowish house with a pink door next to the joke shop that looked as if no one had cleaned anything there in years. The garden and the walls of the house were full of strange things that looked like large pancakes. Maybe it even were pancakes. A large sign 'For Sale' was put up behind the turquoise fence. All in all, the house didn't look inviting enough for any normal person to buy. Tom shrugged and went inside through the door which he opened with "Alohomora". He found himself in a dark hall full of dust and spider webs. He entered a room which he would have classified as a living room where he found his father pacing up and down the room.

"Welcome, Tom.", said Voldemort. "I almost thought you wouldn't turn up. Don't mind the place, it is not nice, but good for occasions such as this."

"Hello. I was talking to Hermione Granger till a few minutes ago, and she told me some… disturbing facts."

"These are?"

"Dumbledore is suspecting me and wants to keep an eye on me now. He has even asked Hermione to spy on me.", said Tom dully.

"That's not good. Typical though."

"It's just… she told me all this, and told me so honestly how she didn't doubt me, and I am… doing this."

"Doing exactly what?"

Tom felt uncomfortable. "Doing… like… associating with you. She said that something like… she wouldn't be friends with me if I were on your side."

"I don't understand why you even care…"

"She's one of the only people who know who I am and haven't changed their opinion of me.", interrupted Tom. "And I'm constantly lying into her face."

"I get that. Still, don't tell her anything, you might not like having to lie, but it's necessary. Now, I want to make sure you know what you're doing. I'm sorry, but if you really want to 'associate with me', as you call it, you won't be able to keep all your friends, you won't be able to go on with your happy life like before, with some little changes that only make it easier for you. I can tell you it won't be easy and all fun or whatever. I don't know what you want, but you will not get it by siding with me. You'll be in for trouble, trouble, and more trouble. You're not the kind of person for whom the pleasures you'll get make all this trouble worth. That'd rather be someone like Bella. For you, it's better if you go back to your school and keep on living like before, happy and without any worries. I will let you live. After all, you're still a child."

Tom stared at Voldemort unbelievingly. "Excuse me, but my life was never happy and without worries. You certainly made sure of that. And I don't…"

"Shh!", interrupted Voldemort and with a wave of his hand opened the door.

Tom heard a scream, followed by a loud noise. A figure tried to stumble out of the dark hall, but was stupefied by Voldemort. When Tom took a closer look he recognized Blaise Zabini.

"What is she doing here?", asked Voldemort.

"I don't know… she's in my class, seems like she followed me."

"This is what I was talking about. This time nothing serious happened, but the truth will get out eventually. And they will all turn away from you.", said Voldemort. "Do what is best for you."

Anger rose in Tom, but he kept his face straight. "You don't know me enough to know what is best for me. Maybe this is. Enervate!"

Blaise woke up and looked around in fear. "You won't do anything to me, will you?"

"You'll see.", Tom looked at Voldemort. "I have to be like Bellatrix? If I have to… Crucio!"

Blaise screamed.

After a few minutes of watching her in pain Tom lifted the curse. Blaise remained crying on the ground. "Go, and don't tell anybody what you've seen, or you're dead. I mean it."

She nodded quickly without looking up and ran away.

"And the meaning of this was?", asked Voldemort who had been watching unimpressed.

"Why you don't seem to believe it, I don't know, but you have become more important to me than the others. I know I'll have to sacrifice things to get something better, but I'm willing. If you need more proof, I'll do whatever your Death Eaters do. I can be loyal. Try me."

"Try you? Alright, how about… how would you feel about leading an attack against a family of very active enemies of mine?"

"Which family?"

"The Weasleys."


End file.
